Inside The Padres

X-Rays On Padres' Xander Bogaerts Negative; Can He Avoid IL?

J.P. Hoornstra|
May 20, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts (2) will receive more imaging on his left shoulder after suffering a scary injury in the first game of Monday's doubleheader.
May 20, 2024; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; San Diego Padres second baseman Xander Bogaerts (2) will receive more imaging on his left shoulder after suffering a scary injury in the first game of Monday's doubleheader. | Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

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The initial news on Xander Bogaerts' injury Monday was encouraging.

X-rays on Bogaerts' left shoulder were negative, San Diego Padres manager Mike Shildt said, and "the initial feedback is a best-case scenario."

“He’s got stability more than it looked like he might have," Shildt told reporters (via 97.3 The Fan on Twitter/X). "He’s got some strength and some range of motion, so more time will tell. At least the initial feedback is initially a best-case scenario.”

Boagerts suffered the injury diving for — and stopping — a ground ball headed for the outfield in the third inning of the Padres' 6-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves. The Padres and Braves are playing the second game of their doubleheader this afternoon and will be without Bogaerts for that game.

Can Bogaerts avoid the injured list altogether?

“I think it’s probably too early to tell," Shildt told reporters. "We’ll see how he recovers with the soreness. If the imaging is negative and he recovers well, it is more of a day-to-day situation. We’ll play it by ear.”

Bogaerts has been struggling this season, slashing .219/.265/.316 with four home runs, 14 RBIs, and 40 strikeouts. The 12-year veteran moved over to second base this year to allow Ha-Seong Kim to play shortstop, and has been an above average defender this season, averaging four outs above average. Unfortunately, his bat hasn't been able to catch up, as his .581 OPS would be the lowest of his career.

The glove has been there all season long, as it was again Monday. The significance of Bogaerts stopping a potential base hit by Ronald Acuña Jr. in a one-run victory was not lost on Shildt.

"By the way, huge play," the manager said. "Huge play. That stops a run, and that ended up being a big deal.”

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J.P. Hoornstra
J.P. HOORNSTRA

J.P. Hoornstra is an On SI Contributor. A veteran of 20 years of sports coverage for daily newspapers in California, J.P. covered MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels (occasionally of Anaheim) from 2012-23 for the Southern California News Group. His first book, The 50 Greatest Dodgers Games of All-Time, published in 2015. In 2016, he won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for breaking news coverage. He once recorded a keyboard solo on the same album as two of the original Doors.

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