Tatis (suspension) went 2-for-3 and scored three runs in Tuesday's Cactus League contest against Colorado.
Tatis began the exhibition slate by failing to record a hit in his initial 16 at-bats, but he's since gone 8-for-21 to lift his spring slash line to .258/.351/.387. Among the eight hits, the 24-year-old has a double and a home run, and he's knocked in six runs in addition to stealing three bases. Of course, any momentum Tatis builds as the spring schedule winds down will be stalled once the regular season starts, since he'll have to sit out the first three weeks of the campaign.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: In Monday's lineup
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Tatis (knee) will start in right field and bat third in Monday's Cactus League game versus the Giants.
Tatis has been dealing with a bruised left knee lately, but it's not a big issue. The superstar is just 2-for-19 at the plate so far this spring and has admitted that his timing has been off. He has a couple more weeks of spring games and then additional time after that to knock the rust off while he finishes serving his 20-game suspension to begin the season.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Should play Monday
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Tatis (bruised knee) should be able to return to action Monday, likely as the designated hitter, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.
There was some concern after Tatis was listed in Sunday's lineup and was then scratched after suffering a bruised knee Saturday, but apparently his inclusion on Sunday's lineup was an error -- he was never meant to be in the lineup. Either way, it's a day-to-day issue and shouldn't affect his availability to play in late April once the remainder of his suspension is served.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Scratched with knee bruise
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Tatis (suspension) was scratched from Sunday's Cactus League lineup against Oakland due to a left knee bruise, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
The Padres say Tatis' removal from the starting nine is a precautionary measure after he was struck in the knee by an errant pickoff throw Saturday. The 24-year-old should be considered day-to-day for now since it doesn't appear to be a serious concern.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Gets off spring schneid
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Tatis (suspension) went 2-for-3 with a double, a run, two RBI and a stolen base in a Cactus League contest against the White Sox on Saturday.
Tatis entered Saturday having gone 0-for-16 with three walks through six Cactus League games, so he was overdue for a big performance. The star shortstop is eligible to play in spring contests but will miss the first three weeks of the regular season while serving out the remainder of his 80-game PED suspension. The early season absence has affected his ADP in fantasy drafts, but Tatis is still typically being taken within the first two rounds.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Feeling out of sync
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Tatis (suspension) told AJ Cassavell of MLB.com that he has felt out of sync at the plate so far this spring.
And that comment came before Tatis went 0-for-3 in Tuesday's Cactus League game against the Reds, leaving him 0-for-13 in exhibition play. Granted, he hasn't appeared in a real major-league game since October 2021, and he said he feels like he's tracking pitches well. The dynamic 24-year-old will have the remainder of March and much of April to fine-tune everything. His PED suspension ends April 20.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Making spring debut Tuesday
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Tatis (suspension) will serve as the Padres' designated hitter in Tuesday's Cactus League game versus the Giants, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Tatis will be making his spring debut in what marks his first game action at any level since he was handed an 80-game ban last August for violating MLB's performance-enhancing drugs policy. Less than a month later, Tatis underwent surgery to repair the labrum in his left shoulder, and he had an additional procedure on his left wrist in October. The 24-year-old has subsequently recovered from both surgeries and will be able to knock off some rust in spring training, but he'll still have to sit out the first 20 contests of the 2023 campaign while he completes his suspension. With the universal designated hitter now in place, Tatis could be eased back in when first eligible April 20 rather than stepping back into a full-time role in the field. During spring training, the Padres plan to have Tatis turn most of his defensive focus to right field, where he's expected to settle into a permanent spot following the Friars' offseason signing of shortstop Xander Bogaerts.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Spring debut could come Tuesday
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Tatis (suspension) could make his Cactus League debut Tuesday against the Giants, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Tatis won't be eligible to return from his PED suspension until April 20, but he'll be able to use spring training to play himself back into shape after a year lost not just to suspension but also to wrist and shoulder injuries. He said heading into camp that he felt 100 percent, but the Padres still seemingly want to ease him into game action.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Won't play in first spring game
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Tatis (suspension) won't play in the first Cactus League game of the season, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
"[Tatis is] not going to play in the first game," Padres manager Bob Melvin said. "It'll be within the first week, but we want to make sure he does everything that he's gonna have to acclimate to in games." Tatis had multiple surgeries in the offseason -- one to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder and another on his left wrist -- and also won't be able to play due to a PED suspension until April 20.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Takes first full BP of spring
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Tatis (suspension) participated in his first full batting practice session of spring training Monday, Bob Scanlan of Bally Sports San Diego reports.
The 24-year-old looks to be back to full health following a pair of surgeries this past fall on his left wrist and left shoulder, but he'll still be sidelined for the Padres' first 20 games of the regular season while he serves the remainder of the 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs that he was handed last summer. Tatis, who is eligible to debut April 20, looks as though he'll be earmarked for an everyday role in right field, after the Padres signed shortstop Xander Bogaerts this offseason. Meanwhile, manager Bob Melvin has also noted during the spring that he anticipates Juan Soto and Ha-Seong Kim settling into regular spots in left field and second base, respectively.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Says shoulder is 100 percent
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Tatis (shoulder/wrist/suspension) said Thursday that his surgically-repaired left shoulder feels 100 percent, Darnay Tripp of NBC 7 San Diego reports.
"It's just locked in," Tatis said. "I feel like it's not going to come out anymore and it feels really secure. It just feels right." Tatis also had a pair of surgeries on his left wrist and must serve the final 20 games of a PED suspension at the beginning of the 2023 season. However, it sounds like he expects to be physically ready to go when eligible for game action on April 20. Tatis is expected to play right field for the Padres this season.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Wants to play center field
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Tatis (shoulder, wrist, suspension) told Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune on Tuesday that he wants to play center field this year for the Padres.
"I mean, I feel like I'm a top-five athlete in this game," Tatis said. "And I feel like there I'm gonna use all my abilities." This all comes after the Padres officially announced that Juan Soto would be moving from right field to left field in 2023, and that Tatis would be the likely starter in right when he returns from his PED suspension in late April. There's still a good amount of time for the parties involved to sort out the best possible alignment.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Close to 100 percent
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Tatis (shoulder/wrist/suspension) said Saturday that his shoulder is as close to 100 percent as it's been over the last two years, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com reports.
Tatis didn't play last season due to injuries and a PED suspension, and he underwent procedures on both his shoulder and his wrist in the fall. He's been a full participant in baseball activities and appears to be trending in the right direction, but he'll miss the start of the schedule even if fully healthy, as his suspension lasts through April 20.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Resumes swinging
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Tatis (shoulder/wrist/suspension) took batting practice Thursday, Hector Gomez of Z101Digital.com reports.
Tatis was cleared to resume baseball activity Jan. 6 and this was his first public step toward returning to the field since. He is expected to be ready to participate at the start of spring training, though he'll still be required to sit out the first 20 games of the season due to a PED suspension. After missing the entire 2022 campaign, Tatis will have high expectations in 2023 after posting an OPS above .930 in all three of his previous seasons in the majors.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Cleared for baseball activites
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Tatis (shoulder/wrist/suspension) was cleared to begin participating in baseball activities Friday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.
Tatis underwent shoulder and wrist surgeries in September and October, respectively, and he went through successful rehab program over the past few months. The 23-year-old will now ramp up his baseball work in the coming weeks and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training in February. Though it appears he'll be healthy for the start of the 2023 campaign, Tatis must sit out the first 20 games of the season to finish out the 80-game suspension he received in August after he tested positive for PEDs. The earliest he can make his season debut is April 20 against the Diamondbacks.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Eligible for April 20 debut in 2023
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Tatis (shoulder/wrist) will be eligible to make his 2023 debut April 20 in Arizona in the Padres' series opener with the Diamondbacks, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Tatis was handed an 80-game suspension Aug. 12 after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, and since the Padres' recent postseason games counted toward his ban, he'll enter the 2023 season with just 20 games left to serve. Just under a month after receiving his suspension, Tatis underwent surgery to address a torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury he had been dealing with since the second half of the 2021 season. He then underwent a follow-up procedure on his left wrist earlier in October, after he previously had surgery to repair the fractured wrist in mid-March. Tatis should be fully healed from the wrist procedure well before spring training, but his recovery from labrum surgery could linger into February or perhaps hinder his effectiveness at the plate even if he enters spring workouts with no restrictions. At the very least, the 20-game suspension to begin the upcoming season at least gives Tatis some added time to regain strength in his shoulder before he potentially makes his debut April 20, assuming he hits no snags in his recovery program prior to that date.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Goes under knife yet again
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Tatis (suspension) recently underwent a follow-up procedure on his left wrist, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
This procedure isn't expected to impact Tatis' timeline for a return, as he also underwent surgery in September to repair a partially torn labrum in his left shoulder. "The timing of the shoulder surgery and the wrist follow-up surgery should line up with the same timeline," said Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller. "He should be able to go for spring training." The second surgery was done to remove the original screws placed in his March procedure with a central screw, which should fare better in the long run, per Acee. Tatis should return to health well before he's done serving his suspension, though his exact return date will depend on how far the Padres advance in the 2022 playoffs.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Undergoes surgery
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Tatis (suspension) had surgery Tuesday to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Tatis had been dealing with the injury since last season but originally decided to forego surgery. He changed his mind after being handed an 80-game PED ban in August. Tatis had to delay the procedure, which was originally scheduled for late August, after he came down with a non-COVID illness, but it was completed and deemed successful by the team Tuesday. With his suspension lingering into the start of next season, the star shortstop isn't expected to have his return timeframe impacted by the surgical procedure.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Surgery delayed
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Tatis didn't undergo surgery on his left shoulder Tuesday as planned after he came down with a non-COVID-19 illness, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.
Tatis is apparently recovering from a case of strep throat in addition to a fever, which will likely result in his shoulder procedure being pushed back a few days. Despite the delay, Tatis is expected to be fully healed from the procedure by the time he completes the 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs he received Aug. 12. Assuming he recovers from surgery as anticipated, a firm date for Tatis' 2023 season debut won't be known until after the Padres complete a potential playoff run this fall, as postseason games will count as time served for his 80-game ban.
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Padres' Fernando Tatis: Getting shoulder surgery
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Tatis (suspension) said Tuesday that he will have shoulder surgery, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
Tatis opted to forego shoulder surgery last offseason, but with him suspended for the rest of this season and the early portion of next season, he probably has enough time to fully recover from the procedure while he is serving his 80-game suspension. His wrist injury should also be a non-issue when he is eligible to return to action. The Padres wanted Tatis to get surgery on his shoulder last offseason, so this may be a way for him to try to repair his relationship with the team.
