San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. has no timetable for his imminent return, but he is one step closer to making it, per manager Mike Shildt.
Recently placed on the 10-day injured list for a stress fracture in his right femur, Tatis Jr. was supposed to miss the entire regular season in June. However, according to MLB.com, he's been participating in baseball activities, including long toss, and has expedited his recovery.
Shildt confirmed there is hope Tatis Jr. will return this season. He will continue his rehab before ramping up for his eventual return to the field, which the Padres manager anticipates will be a very speedy process.
“Tatis has been going through some baseball activity, including long toss,” per MLB.com. “On August 16, manager Mike Shildt noted that Tatis is ‘taking those next steps' in his recovery, though Shildt did not divulge a timetable. Shildt added that Tatis would likely undergo an MRI at some point in the near future. With the team in Colorado for three games, Tatis remained in San Diego to continue his rehab. Added Shildt: “He's definitely getting there. Just still wanting some healing to take place before he ramps up. And once he ramps up, he'll be getting ready pretty quickly, I would imagine.”
Padres and Diamondbacks lead NL Wild Card race
The Padres (69-54) are tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for first place in the NL Wild Card race. Fernando Tatis Jr.'s return could impact San Diego's chances of securing playoff positioning.
Despite the Padres' 7-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies in their latest outing Friday night, they have been red-hot lately. They have won 12 of their last 15 games, including a seven-game win streak dating back to July 30. In light of their hot run, manager Mike Shildt must be very satisfied with his team's effort, given that the Padres' first-year manager has had eyes for winning the NL West division all year.
On August 2, Shildt revealed that his regular-season goal of winning the NL West division had remained the same.
“Our goals haven't changed at any point during the season,” Shildt said, per MLB.com's AJ Cassavell. “It's been to win the division. We know it's a tall order and a competitive division, so we're just going about playing and taking care of our business.”
The Padres, trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 3.0 games, remain tied with the Diamondbacks for second place in the NL West division.
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