Examining the Padres’ plan for Fernando Tatis Jr.

Taking a look at the San Diego Padres’ plan for Fernando Tatis Jr.

It’s been a rough week for fans of the San Diego Padres.

First, Fernando Tatis Jr. left Monday’s game with a serious injury. Then the team lost two out of three to the San Francisco Giants.

In a nutshell, the injury to Tatis sucked the life out of every Padres fan, player, and staff member during Monday’s game. Who could blame them?

It goes without question that Tatis is the heart and soul of that team and the face of the franchise until 2035, when his contract expires. Nonetheless, watching your star player go down with what looked like a painful injury is never want you want to see.

Padres fans aside, it’s hard for anybody to want to see him miss time. He is the cover athlete for the newest MLB The Show video game and tends to make highlight plays on a nightly basis. Of course, some people were cheering the injury to the Padres superstar, although we won’t even pay them the time of day.

In a nutshell, all that is to ask one question: what should the Padres do with Fernando Tatis Jr.?

It’s Complicated 

The injury wasn’t a pretty sight. As Monday night inched closer to midnight, the anxiety and concern of San Diego fans grew immensely. Then came the report and diagnosis from the Padres official Twitter page.

Update from the clubhouse: Fernando Tatis Jr. left tonight’s game with a left shoulder subluxation. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow.

— San Diego Padres (@Padres) April 6, 2021

All in all, it could’ve been much worse. The reports came out the next day that Tatis was being placed on the 10-day IL, which certainly gave hope to the fanbase.

Fernando Tatis Jr. has some slight labral tearing, which is consistent with a subluxation injury, A.J. Preller said. "Overall, the exam today was pretty uneventful." Tatis will go on the IL. Preller said the Padres will go the rest-and-rehab route and aim for a return in 10 days.

— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) April 6, 2021

However, that’s what we know as of this very moment. The bigger issue is long-term and short-term effects.

His shoulder needs to heal, and he can’t risk being rushed back into action. If he is forced to miss months, it could be detrimental to the Padres’ chances of making the playoffs.

They came into the season with the third-highest odds to win the World Series, which is the highest they have been in forever, probably.

All in all, the management and delicacy of how they handle Tatis’s injury needs to be maintained carefully.

Should they shut him down and have him undergo surgery? Sure, the reports said that he might not need it, but the Padres have to have more information than what was initially released.

David J. Chao, one of the best in the business, said that surgery is basically inevitable at some point.

Key is no surgery "for now".
With a labral tear, surgery is typically needed at this level.
Hope Tatis can get thru the season.https://t.co/QUHkS4hfV1 https://t.co/0VU6ZeQNLE

— David J. Chao – ProFootballDoc (@ProFootballDoc) April 7, 2021

That’s a gigantic concern for the Padres. After all, they just signed him to a 14-year deal worth $340 million in the offseason. 

While A.J. Preller said they are “being safe,” that’s exactly what they need to stick to. Tatis is that guy who wants to play every inning of every game, and who can fault him for that?

So, should the Padres shut him down and have him get the surgery now? Or should they risk him injuring it further?

As stated above, it’s complicated.

There’s arguably never been a Padres group hyped up as much as this squad, especially after the insane offseason haul they got in just a matter of months.

Still, it’s something the Padres desperately need to address and monitor with extreme caution.

The best-case scenario is the inflammation goes down, and Tatis can ride out the rest of the season with World Series hopes surrounding Petco Park and downtown San Diego more than ever before.

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On the other hand, they shut him down, have him get surgery, and he comes back ready in 2022 with Mike Clevinger.

Either way, the Padres have a tough decision on their hands, and let’s hope that Tatis’s injury heals quickly.

Matthew Wadleigh

Matthew Wadleigh, born in Oceanside and currently lives in Fresno. He lives with his wife and 2 dogs and is a sports enthusiast. Retired drummer and member of the Fresno State Marching Band. He has been a Padres fan since childhood and has suffered during the struggles just like everybody else.