Padres Announce Move After Xander Bogaerts News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Gavin Groe | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 7:11 PM ET

The San Diego Padres punched their ticket to the postseason on Monday night in after a thrilling walk-off victory against the league’s best team, the Milwaukee Brewers. With an NL West title unlikely, the Padres will look to get fully healthy as the postseason approaches now that their spot is locked up.

Notably, the team has been playing shorthanded in the month of September as Xander Bogaerts has been sidelined since late August after fouling a ball off his foot, resulting in a left foot fracture. Bogaerts has not lived up to expectations in San Diego over his first three seasons after signing an 11-year, $280 million contract ahead of the 2023 season. Over 131 games, the 32-year-old veteran has posted a .262 batting average, .330 on-base percentage, .717 OPS, ten home runs and 49 RBIs.

Ahead of Tuesday’s matchup with the Brewers, the Padres received exciting news that Bogaerts would be making his return to the starting lineup, hitting second and playing shortstop just in time for the postseason. The Padres also announced a corresponding move, as infielder Will Wagner was optioned to the Arizona Complex League.

“We have reinstated INF Xander Bogaerts from the 10-day IL and optioned INF Will Wagner to the Arizona Complex League,” the team wrote on X.

Wagner had appeared in 13 games for San Diego and struggled heavily, batting .083 with a .237 OPS, leading to his demotion off the big-league roster. Wagner joined the Padres organization at the trade deadline after debuting for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2024. The Padres were hoping Wagner could be a reliable depth piece, but that has not been the case.

We have reinstated INF Xander Bogaerts from the 10-day IL and optioned INF Will Wagner to the Arizona Complex League.
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 23, 2025

Padres manager Mike Shildt had been scrambling in Bogaerts’ absence, as aging veteran Jose Iglesias had been tasked with shortstop duties in his place. Iglesias has disappointed at the plate this year after a bounce-back season with the New York Mets in 2024, making Bogaerts’ return a huge boost to the lineup.

Shildt had also been deploying Jake Cronenworth at shortstop as the team’s offense struggled without Bogaerts’ consistency at the position, but that will no longer be the case. As October approaches, Bogaerts will look to build momentum in his first game back on Tuesday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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