Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is expected to miss the remainder of the season, manager Andy Green tells reporters including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune (Twitter link). The exceptional rookie is dealing with a back issue that drove him to the injured list earlier today and is evidently more serious than had originally been hoped.
It’s exceedingly disappointing news for fans of the San Diego organization, who have long awaited the arrival of a superstar of just this kind. Tatis has more than justified the hype that preceded his ascension to the majors at the outset of the season.
Through 372 plate appearances, Tatis carries an eye-popping .317/.379/.590 batting line with 22 home runs and 16 steals. He’s not carrying the greatest strikeout and walk numbers, lagging the league average in both areas, but has had little trouble making loud contact. Tatis is also a big positive on the bases and has shown a flair for the dramatic in the field — even if metrics aren’t glowing in their overall evaluation of his fielding performance.
Details on the injury still aren’t fully known, but it’s not difficult to see the reasoning behind the pessimistic outlook. There isn’t much reason to push a rehab schedule to get Tatis back in the bigs for a brief stretch, particularly if it means risking a more significant injury. The Padres aren’t going to crack the postseason this year regardless.
That said, it’s still a tough pill to swallow. The Friars drew ample attention when they carried Tatis on the Opening Day roster, passing on a chance to gain an extra season of control by holding him down for a few weeks to open the season. That was a questionable, if ultimately admirable, decision that obviously paid off in some ways even if it means some future sacrifices. The club will now lose the chance to draw fans to the yard to see Tatis over the next six weeks. Regardless, Tatis is one of the most exciting and most valuable player assets in the game.
bummer better safe than sorry we need him next year
I like his blonde dyed hair but hoping next year it’ll be polka dot.
Padres need a legit shortstop. Sign Didi this winter!
Everyone call off the search! I found the worst take.
Wow you sure know your baseball. I’d love to just sit down with you someday and be able to pick your brain about the game. I wish I could be so lucky
You’re stupid if you think we need a shortstop for next year
I think the angels should cut ties with trout
You can at least understand Didi in a postgame interview.
@Bocephus Man do you ever get frustrated being a troll but know one gets the fact that you are ACTUALLY trolling and not being serious about them needing a better SS?
If they don’t need a shortstop, Billy Hamilton is available to steal the bases, maybe as a pinch runner?
You fail at trolling
Dude we have the best backup SS in the league…. Mmmma-ighty Luis Urias! Lmao
one who can play more than half a season?
Uh, that doesn’t sound good.
The Padres are calling it a year and over stating this injury in order to insure their future.
They will sign Porcello to a big dollar deal and make a fresh run.
Why him?
Because he stinks and Preller loves to overpay for useless players
So this news also means my fantasy baseball season is screwed…
Mine too
Robbery of Padres fans eyes at this point
No big deal. He was never gonna be that good anyway.
That Shields trade looking great now.
Tatis will forever be hindered by back issues.
Hardly, but hey, whatever helps ya sleep at night
If Tatis never plays again, it was still a loser trade.
So much ignorance on this app
Alonso vs Soroka then?
I respect Soroka but that race is ovah.
Yep. Soroka has it in the bag.
If Alonso hits 50 bombs, like he very well may, I’m not sure how Mike Soroka wins this. Soroka in all likelihood won’t pitch more than 155 innings. Soroka’s great. I’d rather have him than Alonso if I were starting a team tomorrow but for ROY I don’t see it.
Would be hilarious to see Soroka win the Cy and not win the RoY. Nice consolation.
Sorokas now winning the Cy with Ryu and Scherzer ahead.
Alonso no chance, he’s a DH playing in the national league. Make way to many errors and has no range at all.
U have no idea what ur talking about, if u actually watched mets games u would no that Alonso has made huge improvements defensively don’t judge it by just the amount of errors a guy has
Huge improvements, still sicks
thorshair? Was 4th grade the hardest 6 years of your life?
When have you heard of a rookie hitting 40 homers and NOT winning ROY? Judge (52) and McGwire (49) both won ROY.
I’m a Braves fan til I die. And would take Soroka anyday of the week; however, I don’t see him beating Alonso for ROY.
Hehehe White Socks traded Fernando for Tatties
i got a glimpse of him recently in a couple of games. This kid is going to be an all-around superstar if he can stay healthy, Hope to see him back soon.
Matt i get it, back, soon. I agree with ChiSox about Tatis having back problems. There are some back issues that might be cleared up with a strength and stretch program. Staying hydrated.
So sorry to hear! What an athlete! He is so good for baseball.
Go Blue.
worst news of the season
Angels fans and players might disagree
fair enough. I meant for Padres fans. no disrespect intended
I blame Ryan
It’s already we all blame burns
Oof!
Alonso had it in the bag before this injury.
Hardly, Alonso is getting school in EVERY offensive category except HR, and tatis still has 23
The opening line says “It’s exceedingly disappointing news for fans of the San Diego organization”, but I am going to go out a littler further and say:
“It’s exceedingly disappointing news for fans of baseball”. Even as a Giants fan, Tatis is amazing to watch.
I’m a Cubs fan, and I’ve been kinda spoiled watching the exciting play of Javy the last 5 years, but now he definitely has some competition for the most exciting player in baseball label. Before Tatis, it really wasn’t that close. I saw him a few weeks dodge a pickoff attempt where he should’ve been out by a mile, and he danced around it perfectly. Always a shame when a young, upcoming player gets hurt, but this doesn’t sound career altering or anything. Rest up this fall and winter, wait for the Pads to go get a few final pieces to the pitching staff, and watch out. This will be one of the most exciting teams in baseball in the 2-3 years. And forget the ROY, this guy is a future MVP type player.
Damn dude now the Padres playoff hopes are done.
This sucks. It would’ve been a great 3 way race for ROY between him, Alonso, and Soroka. I believe this almost automatically will knock him out of that race though unless the other two both falter down the stretch.
Tatis out for the next 42 games over 6 weeks is he having back surgery? That is the only reason I can think of for him to miss the rest of the season.
Crede would have played!
Ozzie’s boys didn’t quit!!
Stop being a troll. When you feel your achievement for the day is that you made an absurd comment in an anonymous message board to provoke reactions, you need to reevaluate your life.
I am 100% over defensive metrics. They are amazingly flawed.
This is a general commentary that has nothing to do with Tatis, just saying defensive metrics are mostly horsecrap
+1
That’s too bad because defensive analytics is a real thing which teams spend good money on building their own departments. Sadly, some of my past favorite baseball writers are no longer writing because they got hired by MLB clubs. Dave Cameron now works for the Padres, for example.
It kills me that anyone would think promoting Tatis was a “questionable” decision. The kid is dynamite, in the field, at the plate, in front of a microphone. Why (on a team that was likely not to contend this year) would you keep a kid like that down?
Please stop playing for 2023…..it’s either (a) a ROUTINELY failed philosophy or (b) a lot of BS from an ownership that wants to make a quick buck. I haven’t heard an owner yet that says “Ya, we’re gonna be good in 2022, so every ticket is half price until then”.
It was an extremely questionable decision. Tatis being as good as he’s been makes it even worse.
Run that by me again???????? So he’s too good to be promoted???????????
Exactly. Same with Kris Bryant in 2015. If Bryant and Tatis were just “meh” no one would have cared about the extra year of control.
It’s surprising because the Padres chose not to manipulate Tatis Jr.’s service time. Something a majority of teams would do for a player of his caliber. It’s permissible per the CBA which owners and players had agreed to. Hope that changes during their next sitdown.
In hindsight bringing him up for opening day was a complete fail. Damned if you do damned if you dont. Its like the nfl coaches that make 2pt converts when they make it theyre genius when they dont theyre morons.
In what scenario was calling Tatis up early ever going to look good????
Well to some people calling him up at the begining of the year was us ‘going all in’. Of course it was exciting in the begining but i knew the team didnt have necessary pieces to make a deep run. Now unless the pa nulls those types of rookie contracts then we really should have took that extra year.
Agreed. It gives the perception that the team is pushing all of their chips in. Objectively, it was going to be tall order to best the Dodgers. It didn’t work out and GMs will now even be more hesistant to lose that extra year of control unfortunately.
Exciting just like Shields, Kemp, Uptons, moves turned out bad. Padres always exciting in winter
Preller made decision of course bringing him up turned to mush
Bad for baseball. He is going to be a star but he needs to stay healthy. Baseball needs kids like him Alonso, Vlad Jr, Bichette etc. Young stars are the life blood of the game. Too bad.
That sucks. I was looking forward to watching him.
Wait the metrics say hes not so good of a fielder, but Jeff Todd says damn the facts.
In a very small sample size.
He had such a great season up to this point.
Tatis is soo good, beyond good. He is a 5 tool player
Just like Ruben Rivera. He can do it all!
Tatis Jr. has a herniated disk. I assume it’s been bothering him for a while. This kind of injury rarely happens and then surgery shortly thereafter. I will assume he’s been dealing with pain for a while. Surgery and rehab and he will be back to 100%. That means after surgery and rehab, he will probably put up better numbers than he already has.
Unfortunately, he will never be 100% again.
It’s just a herniated disk. No fusion needed. He will be 100% again. If it happens again, different story.
“Details on the injury still aren’t fully known.” No one except the Padres, their doctor, and Tatis know what the injury is.
Right. Do you also believe in the lone gunman narrative with JFK?
Guys made of glass.
Injury prone can’t stay healthy
Hater
It’s not like he’s been injured 3 times in the past 2 years….oh wait, strike that.
No one should be rooting for a guys career to be cut short. Herniated disks or no laughing matter, especially for a guy who plays SS or 3rd.
If anything they may move him to the OF or another position where he may have less impact on his back. In any case, it sucks for SD fans (especially if he is not right again, or it becomes reoccurring), but look what they gave up to get him in the first place, nothing.
As for the White Sox. The Sox made a trade and it did not pan out., I mean Tatis was, what, 17 and nowhere near the prospect he turned out to be when the trade was made. It happens in the league. People need to get over it.