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The good news for the San Diego Padres is that Fernando Tatis Jr. is reportedly set to return. The bad news is that he seems to be at a decent risk of injuring himself again after hitting IL twice with the same shoulder injury.
The unexpected news is what the Padres might be planning to do with him once he gets back on the pitch.
The Padres’ star shortstop was seen hitting flying balls in right field and center field at Petco Park on Friday, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune. Asked about a possible transfer to the outfield when Tatis returns, Padres general manager AJ Preller said:
“Right now the idea is to see if he can get back on the pitch and then we’ll think of something else after that,” said Padres general manager AJ Preller.
Acee reports that Tatis is aiming for a comeback next week, with Tatis himself saying he will “definitely” return this season.
Tatis has been out since July 30, when he once again appeared to dislocate his left shoulder during a frantic dive into third base:
Shoulder injuries have been a recurring problem for Tatis this season and throughout his career. According to Acee’s tally, Tatis has had his shoulder pulled out at least five times since mid-March, including another IL pass in May for a dislocation that included a slight tear in the labrum.
Would Tatis really work in OF?
Say this for the Padres, they seem to think outside the box when it comes to getting what they can from their $ 340 million shortstop.
Outside of the pitcher and receiver, the shortstop would likely be the consensus choice for the most physically demanding position on the court. However, center field and right field would likely not be far behind, and it’s hard to see such a move being a risk-free proposition when Tatis would still be making diving catches and running towards a wall.
Acee reports that a move to the outfield has already been discussed for Tatis and that it was once on the table when the team considered pursuing Francisco Lindor via trade. There are also reportedly members of the Padres’ organization who are considering Tatis moving to midfield in the long run, with top prospect CJ Abrams taking over on shortstop.
Despite regular flashy plays, Tatis is considered a below-par defensive shortstop by both recorded defensive runs and Statcast’s above-average outing metric, so there are reasons to believe that the shortstop is not his permanent home in the organization. Moving him now, more than four months into a playoff race, would be a surprise, but maybe it’s this race that is why they are considering him in the first place.
There seems to be no doubt that Tatis is at risk for his health for the remainder of the season. According to Acee, he would have to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair his labral tear after the season, a procedure with a recovery time of around six months.
Meanwhile, the Padres are 7.5 games away from the NL West’s first place, 3.5 games from home court advantage in the wildcard game and just three games ahead of the Cincinnati Reds for their spot. current wildcard. We could just envision a situation where they’ll take Tatis in any way they can.
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