Xander Bogaerts Missing Padres' Final Chicago Game with Serious Wrist Pain
The San Diego Padres have more injury issues to contend with, as shortstop Xander Bogaerts will be out of the Padres lineup tonight in their final game of a four-game series with the Cubs, according to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Bogaerts will be out with left wrist soreness, a problem that has been nagging the 30-year-old since spring training ahead of his first season with the Padres.
This is certainly a setback for both Bogaerts and the Padres as a whole, as they've been beset by injury problems this season.
Third baseman Manny Machado recently returned after a stint on the injured list with a left hand fracture, but it could take a while for him to get back into form.
For now, San Diego sits five games under .500 and need to turn things around rather quickly if they hope to be in NL West contention by September.
The Padres are seven and a half games behind both the Dodgers and a resurgent Diamondbacks team for first in the division, and Bogaerts' injury could present a serious problem if it continues to be an issue over the course of this season.
Bogaerts has had a subpar season so far when he's been in the lineup, hitting .252 with seven home runs and 21 RBI in 57 games in 2023, but he's clearly been hampered by his wrist this year.
As for tonight, Ha-Seong Kim will take over for Bogaerts at short, and the versatile infielder has hit .244 with five homers and 18 RBI this season.
Kim will be hitting against RHP Kyle Hendricks, and the hurler's had his number as Kim is hitless against Kendricks in his career, albeit with a small 0-for-5 sample size.
