Red Sox fans give Padres’ Xander Bogaerts standing ovation in Boston return

The San Diego Padres are in Beantown for a 3-game series against the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox were home to longtime shortstop Xander Bogaerts for many years. The 33-year-old debuted with the team at 20 years old and won two World Series with them in 2013 and 2018. He is a 4x All-Star, all with the Sox, even until his last season with the team in 2022. When he entered free agency, he decided to go across the country and sign a massive 12-year contract with the Padres.

Bogaerts is making his first appearance back at Fenway Park. Two seasons ago, Xander’s second season with the team, the Padres played in Boston, but he was injured and did not play in the series. Neither did Fernando Tatis Jr., who is playing his first-ever game at Fenway Park on Friday.

Ahead of Bogaerts’ first at-bat on Friday, he received a standing ovation from the sold-out fans in Boston.

Red Sox fans welcome Xander Bogaerts back to Fenwaypic.twitter.com/moMKOmNLNj

— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) April 3, 2026

Xander Bogaerts gets an ovation from the crowd in his return to Fenway Park. pic.twitter.com/NpJFCpVme2

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) April 3, 2026

The fans won’t forget all the good he brought them for many years. He will forever be remembered as one of the ballclub’s best shortstops of all time.

His time in San Diego has not been the same, but he has had his moments. The Padres are competing in the National League with back-to-back playoff appearances, but they don’t have the luxurious championship. San Diego needs Bogaerts to be a veteran presence in the lineup. 2025 was by far his best season with the team, but the Padres need him to do more. Just as they need Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado to step up and lead this team back to the NLCS.

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