Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. has been cleared to restart baseball activities this weekend, reports Dennis Lin of the Athletic. The organization anticipates he’ll be ready for Spring Training.
Tatis underwent a trio of surgeries in 2022. His season began with a procedure to repair a fracture in his left wrist that was identified when he reported to Spring Training. Tatis missed the first half of the year rehabbing. As he was on a minor league assignment to build back into game shape, MLB announced he’d been handed an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use. Tatis had tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol.
That ended his 2022 season before it began. Tatis responded by going under the knife twice more, using his forced time out of action to correct other health concerns. First came surgery on the left shoulder that had given him trouble throughout the 2021 season, twice forcing him to the injured list. In mid-October, he had a follow-up procedure on his left wrist.
It’d have been hard to draw up a worse year for the 24-year-old, who hit .292/.369/.596 over his first three big league campaigns. He earned an All-Star nod and a pair of Silver Slugger awards. The Padres firmly committed to him as the face of the franchise over the 2020-21 offseason, signing him to a $340MM extension that still stands as the fifth-largest deal in MLB history.
Whether Tatis can rediscover the form he showed through his first three seasons is one of the top questions facing a San Diego team with World Series aspirations. That he’s expected to be at full strength for the open of exhibition play is a promising start, although there will certainly be questions about his performance level coming off a year-long layoff and three surgeries.
Even though healthy, Tatis won’t be on the Opening Day roster. There are still 21 games remaining on his PED suspension, keeping him out of action until April 20 (assuming no postponements). Tatis is eligible to participate in Spring Training games during his ban, so he should have a few weeks to hit against upper level pitching in Cactus League play. That’ll be followed by another near-month absence to finish out his suspension.
Once eligible to play, there’s no question Tatis will be a regular in the lineup for skipper Bob Melvin. Precisely where he’ll line up is now up in the air. The presence of Ha-Seong Kim and signing of Xander Bogaerts give San Diego other options up the middle. Manny Machado and Jake Cronenworth are penciled into the corner infield. Injuries can change the calculus, but Tatis is on track to spend the majority of his time in the outfield.
Trent Grisham is likely to be back in center field, although the club is at least open to trade possibilities there. Juan Soto has one corner outfield spot secured. After playing exclusively right field in 2022, Soto informed Padres officials he’s willing to man either corner outfield spot next season, Lin reports. Playing Tatis in the other corner opposite Soto would seem to be the plan on most days, though Tatis could bounce all around the diamond as other players take days off.
Melvin and the coaching staff will be tasked with sorting out the defensive possibilities. The more immediate concern is for Tatis to try and rediscover his early-career form at the plate. That’s a critical goal for the organization, as he’s under contract for another 12 seasons at a total of $324MM (minus the approximate $800K he’ll forfeit while serving the remainder of his suspension).
Hopefully that ringworm is cleared up
White Sox trade doesn’t look so bad now.
Still looks terrible, actually
I know I’ll get torched for this, but with the following assumptions:
— Tatis can perform without the need for PEDs
— The signing of Bogaerts signaled Padres’ desire to move away from Tatis
— Tatis would be happier playing SS than LF
… the Padres should look into trading him to the Angels for Shohei Ohtani.
Moving a contract of that size is not easy and perhaps the best fit, a trade with the Dodgers, is not happening. So you’d look for a large market team in need of a SS preferably outside your division and/or league.
Enter the Angels.
Uncertainty abound here. New owner coming. Part-time head coach. There are so many variables that I don’t see how (or why) Shohei signs with the Angels. The Angels should know this is their last year with Shohei. And I’m a (realistic) Angels fan.
The Angels need a long-term answer at SS. Yes Tatis’ contract is 12 more years (including this one), but at a $24.2M/yr. luxury tax hit, it’s almost a bargain given that he’ll only be 35 at contract’s end. Plus, he’s only making $7M this season on the books which would be very attractive to the new owner (as compared to Shohei’s $30M).
It also frees up the DH spot which would allow the Halos the flexibility to mix in Drury, Urshela, and Rengifo at the infield corner spots to give Rendon and Walsh days off in the field. Rendon and Trout especially at their points in their careers need DH nights. OR it also allows the Angels to explore an interesting Nelson Cruz type signing.
So that leaves starting pitching. It takes away the Angels ace. It’s a huge blow. But it also allows the Angels to shrink back down to a 5-man rotation and perhaps grab a Greinke or a Wacha off the FA list to help cushion the loss. Plus, as mentioned above, I have to assume the Angels have their Japanese ace for only this season.
On the Padres side, you get rid of a (talented) thorn in your side and add a unicorn player. Immediately you become a favorite to take on the Dodgers, Mets, and Braves. The “win now” mode would be off the charts and you have a leg up on the Dodgers to resign Ohtani (given that they won’t be paying Tatis salary any longer).
Win-win for both clubs. And yes, I’m wearing metal underpants, ready for the torching and groin kicking…….
That would be a terrible move by the Padres. Tatis isn’t going anywhere this season and especially for a free agent to be player in Othani.
San Diego would dump a huge/long contract from a player with injury history, PEDs ???, defensive woes, speed/SBs on the decline. That said, he’s top 95% power and hitting, though he Ks too much. 12 year huge contract vs 1 year huge contract, take the 1 year.
White Sox win that trade because “if” Tatis is a bust without PEDs, if he turns into a 130 game a year player with a missed year for injury every once in a while.
Ozzie gone to Cardinals
Kahlil gone crazy
Ringworm gonna disappoint again.
PED and multiple motorcycle accidents after a big commitment. He needs to go. Start over somewhere else. Manny was right to yell at him.
And hopefully there is no reoccurrence of the ringworm for Tatis.
@Captain….Unless you take an oral anti-fungal med, best treatment for athlete’s foot, dandruff, jock itch is to use topical products.
Yes that ringworm, can be a killer.
*Tatis starts chugging PEDs*
I remember him! Remember when he used to play baseball!? It’s gonna be weird to see him just play baseball.
I knew he’d beat the ring worm. He knows what to do now to not get it again.
Fast actin Tinactin?
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Hope he’s ready for this^^^
Like Manny, he’ll hopefully be fueled by it.
Or he Vince Youngs and can’t handle it
He already got that treatment in LA among other places. Doing a double take trot around 3rd after demolishing a ball over the fence will do that, though.
He already got booed when he was hitting bombs at Doyer stadium.
Every time I read Clostebol I think of Arnold try to tell someone about his blood…
“Ya, an from awl dat stewoid ussage back in da day, my Clostebol is tru da roof”
23 in ’23, the year of El Niño. Let’s roll!
And is it ironic that he’s returning on 4-20? Hmm…
Smoke em if you got em!
Cue steroid/ringworm jokes in 5..4..3..2..1. And since I am telling all the Astro fans I will always make fun of the trash cans, let the jokes fly, but just know that if Tatis returns to 21 form then the rest of the league better watch out.
Watch out for that James Midway. He’s a hard laugh
Cheaters gotta cheat.
Haters gotta hate!
“Ringworm” – this gentleman thinks we all struggle with gullibility.
Tatis will be a Cardinal
Man will walk on Mars in 2023, I can make stuff up too.
In St. Louis or at mass?
Hopefully at mass.
In Arizona. He is gonna join the NFL as a place kicker..
“though Tatis could bounce all around the diamond as other players take days off.”
Highly doubt it. He probably spends time in OF or CF or DH majority of the season. Doubt he sees time at 3B, SS, or even 2B. Possibly 1B. Doubt they move around a franchise cornerstone all over the diamond esp given his injury history.
If they want to give Bogaerts a day off theyll give kim ss and put cronenworth at 2B
If they want to give kim a day off theyll put cronenworth at 2B and carpenter at 1B or tatis jr
If Machado wants a day off theyll put Kim at 3B, Cronenworth at 2B, and someone at DH and 1B.
Ah. Speedy ringworm recovery.
Doctors regularly prescribe corticosteroids for jock itch and yeast infections. He is likely just stupid not a cheater. Stupid for the cycle accident too. He will hit over 60 homers in 2023 and 2024 combined, maybe much more.
He has the means to seek professional medical advice.
One would assume that a team or player with that much invested would make sure they understood the “no no’s”
This is a cop out.
Yeah, Tatis didn’t cheat on purpose.
Barry Bonds head size grew naturally.
Mark McGwire only used creatine.
Jose Canseco just shared work out tips.
And Roger Clemens fell onto needles that happened to have HGH in them.
Bond’s’ head didn’t grow – his hair just ran away
And A’sfaninWales didn’t cheat on his wife.
I’ve had a jock itch as well as fungus feet. I would need to take a bath in prescription-strength corticosteroids for it to raise a flag in a drug test. Accidentally ingesting banned substances from some third-world voodoo health concoction? I can buy that. Ringworm? Nah.
I once had a case of hock itch that lasted over a year and a half. Nothing over the counter or prescribed by my doctor would cure it. I guarantee I would have taken a bath in a bucket of cat crap if someone guaranteed it would clear it up. That was an absolutely brutal experience. The worst was the prescription florizol or something like that. It was a once a week pill for a month. It got almost completely cleared up but as soon as the pills ran out it flared right back up. I eventually had the rash over 70% of my body. Ugh awful awful time!! It took shaving every hair off my body and cleaning everything with rubbing alcohol every half hour to hour for 2 weeks for it to finally go away.
Hah! It’s the worst. I had a similar experience as yours with a staph infection but for only six weeks. Got it from the gym. Taking bleach baths and other home remedies. Finally saw a dermatogist whom had under-dosed me. I called up my dentist friend for another prescription. Lol. Can’t imagine dealing with that for 1.5 years.
Manny, other than the ringworm comment, Tatis didn’t really protest the allegation and didn’t appeal the decision. If I were innocent and my reputation was on the line, millions of dollars would be lost, and I’d miss out an opportunity to battle with my teammates for a WS, I’d be screaming at the top of my lungs about my innocence.
Unfortunately, we’ve seen that very few (if any) are indeed innocent. If the league is issuing a suspension, they’ve got proof beyond a shadow of a doubt.
@Mannybeing….. I think you forgot the /s at the end of your comment.
Classy of Soto to let the team know he’s fine playing either corner.
I’m more appreciative of Soto simply improving his play on the grass. His first few seasons made it look like he would be DH.
PErnanDo Taintis
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce the new Trevor Bauer.
Not even close to the same thing.
Except for the fact that regardless of how people feel about Bauer’s personal life, Trevor was never charged with nor convicted of a crime and did not violate the rules of the game.
Fire away
MLB deemed he violated the CBA’s personal conduct provisions. They don’t need the same burden of proof. Bauer, as a union member, did also agree to allow arbitration to determine his punishment.
The League justifiably distanced itself from him based on a public witch trial. I understand that for the good of the sport.
However, I can only assume that he expected the truth, lack of evidence and charges to exonerate him and allow him to go back to work.
This is what ultimately happened.
However, the fact that he is neither charged nor guilty will never be amplified like the allegations were.
The public trial he is enduring has already cost him a considerable salary, a year of playing in his prime, his public name and marketability.
Yeah the real crime was that the whole thing wasn’t dealt with behind closed doors.
The real crime is about closed doors.
Too bad that the groupie who targeted Trevor Bauer also had targeted Mike Clevinger and Fernando Ringworm Jr. She was a former Padres employee and daughter of the USD baseball coach (heavily supported by a Padres owner). If those connections weren’t there, I could see Bauer in Brown.
Because Lindsey Hill referred to sex with Ringworm and Clevinger in depositions, there’s no chance they’d open that can of ringworms.
Imagine any team considering Bauer has to consider the possibility that someone else may come forward, given the acts that led to these allegations seemed to be a….lifestyle (?) for lack of better word choice in this forum.
So, regardless of whether one feels he was right or wrong, whether the choice is considered personal/consensual or neither, and whether these allegations brought trample individual rights or protect them, teams are going to be considering the potential of future self-reporting alleged victims coming forward.
It’s why LAD made the choice they did. It’s why no team will agree to pay a significant portion of his salutary despite the talent/ability they may acquire with him.
I still believe he will pitch in MLB. I think it will be a mid-to small-market team. Reds wouldn’t surprise me.
I hope it’s the White Sox
Haha, I take it you’re *not* a WSox fan, FoxSox? Or perhaps you feel like he would be a great pitcher at a super discounted price, in which case you’d also be correct, imo.
Yes option 2.
Seems to be friendly with TA7 and Clevinger.
I personally am a sox fan and Bauer fan.
My teams owner is cheap.
Well, I get that perspective for sure. There’s no question he would bolster any team’s rotation. And if your team can get him for pennies on the dollar, it would make the acquisition that much more valuable.
I would like to see the WSox perform to their capabilities. It’s such a talented team that just never quite seems to be able to put it together (injuries obviously a big part of that).
Guy’s a clown. Padres are a joke, west coast Mets
Evidence or you just gonna go Qanon on us?
Hope haircuts aren’t baseball activity
Is taking steroids part of baseball activities?
Asking for a friend.
I’m sure all pro athletes take some type of steroids. Nah it’s all protein shakes, chicken breasts and broccoli.
I liked his his father way more than I like his son. Not a fan of the showboaters.
“Showboaters” (aka people of color) are what keep the game relevant and popular. Boring old white dudes who have zero personality are killing the sport.
If only there was a way for him to get back quicker… just this once.
That SD lineup is stacked deep
Dude is a sleazebag…a very very rich sleazebag…
He is young enough to grow some. That much money and adulation makes a tough row to hoe. He has been a show off for a while now. Nutz cycle to break.
Can you define the term “sleazebag”? Smart minds want to know how dumb people think.
Knowing how athletes are, I guarantee you his teammates took him to task more than any of you did for the time missed and letting the team down with both incident.
It might stay in the clubhouse, but we know it happened.
I sure hope they sat him down and explained things to him: what being both a teammate and a grown man is about. It should begin and end in the clubhouse.
He’s not a grown man mister 0point2. Brains don’t stop developing until after 25. Cut him some slack. Should they sit down and discuss PR, maturity, his future with the organization? Sure. But it could be worse. A lot worse. Like planes hitting the buildings worse. When I was his age I was knee deep in your mom. Sorry it had to be me to tell you. She paid me so it wasn’t all bad. Actually it was.
It’s a brotherhood of enablers.
“Fernando Tatis Jr has been cleared to resume idiotic risky activities.”
*Fraudnando Tatis
The Padres. LOL!
Bring on the championship
That you Mike?
Y’all are acting like at 22, you weren’t idiots..
As a Padres fan, I’m pissed at the dude..but at his age, I was doing much worse..and I bet most of you were too.
Lookin forward to seeing him back.
Let’s rock n roll! All you hater’s and instigators ain’t gonna have nothing but the blues while we’re on a Friars cruise. We’ll see you in the rear view mirrors!
All un-roided and ready to roll.
He’s a scumbag and MLBTR is cowardly for closing comments anytime there’s a Bauer article.
Nobody is taking him and that contract. He’s a Padre they should of cut him when they had the chance.