The Padres to be without Fernando Tatis Jr. after suffering fractured wrist
Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Major League Baseball is back. Unfortunately for the San Diego Padres star shortstop, Fernando Tatis Jr. won’t be on the field for Opening Day.
As everybody waits to see what general manager A.J. Preller does during free agency, the news dropped that Tatis has a fractured wrist and is expected to be out for three months, according to AJ Cassavell of MLB.com.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has a fractured wrist, A.J. Preller says. “Up to three months of recovery time.”
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) March 14, 2022
This is devastating news for the Padres, and it certainly comes out of nowhere. Now, as Cassavell mentions, the recovery time is up to three months, so there is a chance Tatis beats that timeline and gets on the field before June.
Back in December, Tatis was involved in a motorcycle accident, although no serious injuries were reported then. However, Dennis Lin reported that this injury happened in the offseason, so perhaps that accident was more serious than anybody thought at the time.
Fernando Tatis Jr. fractured his wrist during the offseason, A.J. Preller said. He’s headed for a surgery that could come with a recovery time of up to three months.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) March 14, 2022
Nonetheless, the Padres will begin the season without their star player, and, who knows, maybe talented prospect CJ Abrams gets bumped up and starts until Tatis returns.
After playing 84 games in his rookie year and 59 in the shortened 2020 season, Tatis played in 130 in 2021 and posted career numbers: 42 home runs, 97 RBIs, and 135 hits while swiping 25 bases.
The durability of Tatis remains a question mark, and this is just the latest chapter in an unfortunate string of events for the $340 million man.
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Ha-Seong Kim and Jake Cronenworth are in the middle of the infield — for now — and Abrams should have a much more realistic path to an Opening Day roster spot after the Tatis news. Of course, Preller could make a blockbuster move at any moment and shift things drastically, especially if he can unload Eric Hosmer‘s dismal contract.
The free agency spending spree has yet to begin for San Diego, and now they have even more questions with Tatis out for the foreseeable future.
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.
Although he’s a great player, he is undisciplined and falling off his mc multiple times this off season is just plain reckless. Not to mention it is prohibited in the standard MLB contract. And this is another case of Preller throwing money at a player, giving up all his leverage and then having to just grin and bear it.
The club really needs to push for the shoulder surgery that he needs now, and move him to the OF when he returns.