Padres' Xander Bogaerts Responds to Being Dropped in Lineup

San Diego Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts has struggled all season to perform up to his usual batting standards, and on Tuesday he paid the price.

In the Padres' 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves, Bogaerts was dropped to the No. 8 spot in the team's batting order, marking the lowest he's batted since May 20, 2015.

The demotion comes amid one of Bogaerts' worst seasons of his 14-season career, batting .220/.312/.327 with nine homers and 38 RBIs. Since May, he's hit just .193 with a .567 OPS, making him among the Padres' worst hitters despite the team-high $25.5 million salary he's earning in 2026.

Bogaerts responded to the batting order shakeup with a double in the fourth inning, going 1-for-4 at the plate with a run scored. Before the game, Bogaerts implied that the message he was receiving from the Padres was clear.

"What can I say," Bogaerts said to reporters. "Play better."

No matter where the Padres have moved Bogaerts in the lineup, the five-time Silver Slugger's performance has been consistently below average for a team that is struggling to generate offensive production. Padres manager Craig Stammen moved Bogaerts to the No. 3 spot earlier in July to little avail.

Since making the move, Bogaerts went 4-for-30 batting third in the Padres' lineup.

“We’re taking a little bit of the pressure off Bogey,” Stammen said behind the move to No. 8. “That’s probably the biggest thing. We’ve got to get him going somehow. Thought moving him up in the lineup might get him going. He’s still taking good at-bats.”

For better or for worse, the Padres and Bogaerts are likely stuck together for the foreseeable future, as the 33-year-old's contract goes through the 2033 season and would be difficult to dump on the trade market. With roughly two months to go and a slim-at-best chance of making the playoffs, Bogaerts told reporters that he's keeping his head down.

“Keep working,” he said. “That’s all I’ve got to say: Keep trusting and keep working.”

After dropping the first two games after the All-Star break to the Kansas City Royals, the Padres are 2-1 in their last three contests. With a record just below .500, the next week-and-a-half are all-important for a team that must decide how it will approach the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Bogaerts can help the Padres become buyers if he stops hitting like a No. 8 hitter and more like the $25 million player the Padres signed in 2022.

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