Padres pregame: Jake Cronenworth at shortstop, magic number at four

With Xander Bogaerts still making his way back, the Padres continue to turn to Jake Cronenworth as pretty much the every shortstop against righties.

So Cronenworth will man shortstop and bat eighth to start a three-game series at the Chicago White Sox, allowing the Padres to again get Luis Arraez, Gavin Sheets and Ryan O’Hearn all in the lineup for Friday’s 4:40 p.m. first pitch on Padres.TV.

Arraez will bat second and play second, Sheets will serve as the DH and bat sixth, followed by O’Hearn as the first base and Cronenworth at shortstop and in the eight-hole.

Baseball on the Southside. pic.twitter.com/B6y97YQ5T7

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) September 19, 2025

Cronenworth has been a productive shortstop in a small sample.

He is hitting .333/.455/.556 in 22 plate appearances at the position. He is also a .267/.416/.450 hitter in 157 plate appearances as the eight-hole hitter.

Through 127 games this year, Cronenworth has a .764 OPS that is 20 points above his career OPS and his highest OPS since .800 as a first-time All-Star in 2021.

The Padres begin the final road series of the regular season sitting three games behind the Dodgers in the NL West with nine games left in the season. They are also five games behind the Cubs in the race for the NL’s top wild-card spot, four games up on the Mets in at least securing the No. 5 seed and enter Friday with a magic number of four.

The Padres can clinch a playoff spot as soon as Saturday with two wins, two Reds losses and two Diamondbacks losses.

Here is how the White Sox will line up for Game 1:

Tonight's starters for Hispanic Heritage Night! pic.twitter.com/nqRMt79I4F

— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) September 19, 2025

Friday’s pitching matchup

Padres RHP Dylan Cease (8-11, 4.59 ERA)

The former White Sox is facing his old team for the first time since he was traded to the Padres before the 2024 season for reliever Steven Wilson and prospects Drew Thorpe, Jairo Iriarte and Samuel Zavala. Cease is coming off his first quality start (6 IP, 1 ER) since Aug. 10, albeit against a historically bad Rockies team. Cease still has a 2.40 ERA in three September starts (15 IP).

Here is how Cease has fared against current White Sox:

• OF Andrew Benintendi (5-for-15, 2B, RBI, 4 BBs, 5 Ks)
• OF Michael A. Taylor (1-for-18, 7 Ks)
• OF Mike Tauchman (1-for-5, 2B, K)
• INF Miguel Vargas (0-for-1, BB, K)

White Sox RHP Davis Martín (6-10, 4.01 ERA)

The third-year starter has thrown a career-high 132⅓ innings, more than double last year’s total (50 IP). He has a 95-to-45 strikeout-to-walk ratio and has allowed 20 home runs, but only one in three September starts (3.86 ERA). Martín’s only appearance against the Padres was a win in 2022 (5⅔ IP, 1 ER).

Here is how Martin has fared against current Padres: