San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. underwent both shoulder and wrist surgeries this offseason. As he works to get back on the diamond, Tatis has taken a massive step in his recovery.

Tatis' surgeries were for a torn labrum in his shoulder and a bone procedure in his left wrist. He was recently cleared to resume baseball activities. On Thursday, Tatis was able to actually take batting practice, via Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital.

Fernando Tatis Jr. appeared in 130 games for the Padres last season. He hit .282 with 42 home runs, 97 RBI and 25 stolen bases. He was voted an All Star for the first time in his career while finishing third in MVP voting. He also earned the National League's Silver Slugger for shortstops.

However, Tatis was suspended 80 games for failing a PED test. Tatis' steroid scandal will keep him out for the first 21 games of the 2023 season.

Still, Tatis is an integral part of a Padres team with World Series aspirations. San Diego spent big in free agency signing Xander Bogaerts to a long-term contract while adding pieces such as Matt Carpenter, Nelson Cruz and Seth Lugo. San Diego also agreed to arbitration deals with late-season trade additions Juan Soto and Josh Hader.

When healthy, Tatis figures to be a crucial part of the Padres' success. Him being able to take batting practice shows that Tatis is recovering from his offseason surgeries. Tatis is sure to get some flack from fans after testing positives for PEDs. But San Diego will be happy to have their young, healthy and burgeoning star back in the lineup.