The San Diego Padres received bad news Friday. They also gave bad news to the rest of the baseball world when they announced that young shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. likely will be out the rest of the season.
Tatis left Tuesday’s game against the Rays with lower back stiffness. After letting him rest for a couple of days and doing some tests, the Padres determined Tatis needed more rest. His season could be over.
The exciting young player was on pace for a 20/20 season (20 home runs, 20 stolen bases) with brilliant defense even though he missed a month earlier with a hamstring strain. That makes this a bummer for all of baseball, which likely won’t see him again till 2020.
Fernando Tatis Jr. Expected To Miss Remainder Of Season https://t.co/hOL4B9bVgM pic.twitter.com/8NLYuOvyRv
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) August 16, 2019
A seemingly innocent injury
Tatis actually had four at-bats Tuesday and even attempted a stolen base before leaving the game in the eighth inning.
Initially, the Padres said Tatis would sit Wednesday to give him two straight days off when combined with Thursday’s off day. But late Thursday, reports came out that he would likely hit the 10-day injured list.
Then Padres manager Andy Green dropped the bad news before Friday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies: Tatis had not traveled to Philadelphia and likely will miss the rest of the season.
#BREAKING – According to manager Andy Green, @Padres rookie shortstop @tatis_jr is likely done for the season after this swing Tuesday caused a stress reaction in his back pic.twitter.com/85Gq3q3AGw
— KUSI Sports (@KUSISports) August 16, 2019
A brilliant rookie season
If this is it for Tatis’ rookie season, he’s made quite an impact. He started Opening Day with the Padres and has hit .317/.379/.590 for an OPS of .969. He’s hit 22 home runs with 16 stolen bases. And all this with brilliant defense at an important position.
There is a glimmer of hope that Tatis could return in Septemeber; Green said the Padres would re-evaluate him in three weeks. But by that time, most minor-league teams will be done, making a rehab assignment difficult. And besides, the Padres want to err on the side of caution with their budding superstar.
With Fernando Tatis Jr. likely out for the season, he still enjoyed a historic rookie campaign.
The 20-year-old shortstop’s .969 OPS is the 2nd-highest by an NL rookie in the expansion era (since 1961), trailing only Albert Pujols’ 1.013 mark in 2001 (min. 300 PA). pic.twitter.com/siSFUWkJ1j
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 16, 2019
