Padres pregame: Banged-up Xander Bogaerts joins Jackson Merrill on bench

Jake Cronenworth is back in Wednesday’s lineup.

Jackson Merrill, however, is not as the 22-year-old center fielder will miss a third straight game since leaving Sunday with left ankle discomfort. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts will also sit after he was hit by a pitch and took a foul ball off his shin on Tuesday.

Wednesday’s first pitch is at 6:40 p.m. on Padres.TV.

JP on the bump. pic.twitter.com/LecLbs8tU9

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) August 20, 2025

Cronenworth was hit by a pitch above his right elbow on Monday, was removed from the game and did not play Tuesday, although Padres manager Mike Shildt his starting second baseman was available off the bench but not needed in Tuesday’s 5-1 win.

Jose Iglesias filled in for Cronenworth at second base on Tuesday and will man shortstop in place of Bogaerts on Wednesday.

“He’s taking a beating, man,” Shildt said late Tuesday night. “He’s doing OK. I talked to him after the game, and yeah, he’s a gamer. He’s been posting and playing, but yeah, he’s taking some balls off some different places. And he stayed in the fight and made nice play in the ninth.”

Iglesias will hit seventh, ahead of Cronenworth and Freddy Fermin, who is back in the lineup after giving way to Elias Díaz for Nick Pivetta’s start on Tuesday.

With Merrill sitting a third straight game, the Padres will have a chance to play both Ryan O’Hearn and Gavin Sheets in the same lineup for just the third time since the trade deadline.

The Padres are 2-0 in such games and 7-3 in O’Hearn’s starts since the trade deadline.

An All-Star with the Orioles, O’Hearn is hitting .231/.340/.436 with two homers and eight RBIs since the trade deadline.

O’Hearn will play first base and hit fourth, between third baseman Manny Machado and Ramón Laureano, who will start in center field for Merrill.

Sheets will play left field and bat sixth and Luis Arraez will serve as the DH.

The Padres made room for JP Sears’ start on Wednesday by optioning right-hander Ron Marinaccio back to Triple-A El Paso.

Marinaccio appeared in just one game in this stint with the Padres, striking out one and allowing a hit over two shutout innings in Saturday’s 6-0 loss at Dodger Stadium.

The 30-year-old reliever has struck out five over 4⅔ shutout innings across two stints this year in the majors.

Here is how the Giants will line up for Game 3:

Today's #SFGiants lineup: pic.twitter.com/KTMilu88BG

— Jeff Sanders (@sdutSanders) August 20, 2025

Wednesday’s pitching matchup

Giants RHP Landen Roupp (7-6, 3.45 ERA)

He was sidelined for about three weeks with elbow trouble before returning to the Giants’ rotation on Friday, allowing five runs in three innings in a no-decision. Roupp has a 1.93 ERA in 18⅔ career innings against the Padres, but is 0-1 with a 3.38 ERA in two starts (10⅔ IP) this season.

Herer is how Roupp has fared against current Padres:

Padres LHP JP Sears (7-10, 5.12 ERA)

He allowed five runs in five innings in his only start after the trade deadline before he was optioned to the minors. Sears made one start for Triple-A El Paso, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk in five innings in the win. Sears has a 1.82 ERA in four starts in his career against the Giants, including two this season (10 IP, 4 ER).

Here is how Sears has fared against current Giants: