Padres pregame: Xander Bogaerts (cramping) back in lineup

A day after exiting in the 10th inning due to cramping in his right hamstring, Xander Bogaerts is at shortstop and batting fifth for Saturday’s 6:40 p.m. start against the Texas Rangers on Padres.TV.

It was the second time in a week that cramping of some sort forced him from a game. The left quad was in the issue on June 29 in Cincinnati. On Friday, Bogaerts swung and missed at a pinch grabbed at his hamstring and ultimately walked off the field with a trainer.

“Similar to Cincinnati — different place, different leg — but similar feeling,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said. “Cramped up, knotted up. You know, he’s doing everything he can from a hydration standpoint. We’ve have had some tough travel days and some scheduling and maybe just caught up with him. But he was very, as the medical group was last night, optimistic (at) being able to release that cramp and making sure it wasn’t anything muscular. So his confidence level in that last night, recovered really well last night, and then he slept on it.

“We went back and forth this morning and everybody agreed he was good to go, all things considered.”

Bogaerts was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Friday, snapping a five-game hitting streak in which he was hitting .474/.524/.789 with one homer and three doubles. He is also hitting .338/.394/.554 over his last 17 games.

Saturday night baseball. pic.twitter.com/aFeZcKTE4g

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 5, 2025

Bogaerts is bouncing into the five-hole on Saturday, which has become a regular spot in the lineup against left-handed pitching. That pushes Gavin Sheets in the into the six-hole as the left fielder. Luis Arraez will serve as the DH, Jose Iglesias will get the start at second base and in the seven-hole and Jake Cronenworth will bat eighth and man first base.

Here is how the Rangers, who activated Wyatt Langford (oblique) off the injured list, will line up for Game 2:

Saturday night in San Diego. #AllForTX pic.twitter.com/Sv9tz9E60o

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) July 5, 2025

Saturday’s pitching matchup

Rangers LHP Patrick Corbin (4-7, 4.26 ERA)

The 35-year-old veteran has a 5.48 ERA in 827 innings since he last received Cy Young votes in 2019. Corbin had a 5.28 ERA in five starts in June. Right-handed hitters have a .779 OPS this year against Corbin, compared to lefties’ .644. He has a 4.70 ERA in 134 innings in his career against the Padres, including six runs in 14 innings in a pair of starts last year.

Here is how Corbin has fared against current Padres:

Padres RHP Stephen Kolek (3-3, 3.73 ERA)

The Padres have lost each of his last five starts (4.10 ERA), which includes two starts with one or fewer runs allowed. Kolek has a 20-to-9 strikeout-to-walk ratio over those five starts (26⅓ innings). Kolek faced the Rangers last year as a reliever, allowing one hit over 1⅓ scoreless innings.

Only three current Rangers have history with Kolek: