Throughout the entire 2021 MLB season Fernando Tatis Jr. has been electric, but has also been struggling with injury. The 22 year old Padres shortstop has been dealing with a left shoulder injury this season and for the third time this year he finds himself on the IL after sublexing (partialy dislocating) his shoulder on an awkward slide into third on July 30th. This will have a major impact on the remainder of the Padres season as Tatis could be out until the postseason.
As this is the third time that Tatis has had this issue it is likely that he has a larger underlying injury causing his shoulder to be unstable. Tatis is trying to rehab his shoulder and according to Padres manager Jayce Tingler, he has made some good progress:
"Everything is sounding positive. I saw him and thought there was significant improvement. I feel if we can continue this pace, I'm really confident we're on a path for him to return to play."
– Jayce Tingler on Fernando Tatis on @BenAndWoods
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) August 6, 2021
While this update is very vague, if Tatis could come back before the end of the season it could have major effects on the Padres playoff hopes. If the Padres want to win in the postseason then he will have to be playing.
Unfortunately however, no matter how much rehabbing Tatis does, it is only a matter of time until the shoulder is reinjured or he creates a bigger issue. If Tatis has only a minor tear in his labrum all he will need is a minor offseason surgery that should put him on track for the beginning of the 2022 season. The Padres risk a more severe injury if they rush Tatis back which could put his timeline in 2022 into question.
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