- Fernando Tatis Jr. is expected to recover from a wrist injury.
- The Padres are still looking for him.
- He has yet to be cleared to swing a bat.
Fernando Tatis Jr. is expected to recover from a wrist injury suffered last winter. The Padres are still looking for him. The club’s franchise shortstop underwent his most recent round of imaging on Monday, and the results were mixed.
According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Tatis’ last CT scan did not demonstrate the kind of recovery that the team had hoped for. He has yet to be cleared to swing a bat, but he has not had any setbacks.
“Another MRI scan continues to show healing, but it was not quite at the level for … a full green light,” president of baseball operations A.J. Preller told reporters, “Basically we’re in a spot where we’re going to progress week-to-week.”
That is not a desirable scenario, especially given how long Tats has already been sidelined. Preller said the All-Star infielder may be gone for three months when he announced the injury and subsequent surgery in mid-March. We’ve now reached that schedule, and Tats’ continuous “week-to-week” treatment plan means he’s still not on the verge of a comeback. As Acee points out, it’s impossible to envision him being ready to participate in a major league game before the July 18-21 All-Star break, because he’ll almost probably require a rehab stay in the lower leagues even after physically regaining game form.
At the same time, Tats has continued to make little steps forward. He was cleared to play catch on Tuesday, the first time he’s been able to snag balls out of the air after previously being confined to taking grounders, according to Annie Heilbrunn of the Union-Tribune.
Fernando Tatis Jr. is out here in Chicago getting work in. Progress: He’s now catching the ball; before,he was only able to scoop grounders. #Padres pic.twitter.com/18HFsP4AIC
— Annie Heilbrunn (@annieheilbrunn) June 14, 2022
When Tats returns, the position should shift from a weakness to an unequivocal strength. “We’re expecting to get him back, it’s just a matter of when,” Preller told Acee and others. “I don’t think (the latest imaging) changes anything in terms of where we need to go in terms of roster.”
