San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. has been one of the most exciting players in baseball this season. From tagging up to score on infield popups to mammoth homers and leaping grabs at the edge of the outfield grass, Tatis has electrified the sport with his talent.
Unfortunately, injuries have robbed Tatis of more playing time, and now it appears that his rookie season may be at its end.
Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that Tatis is probably done for the remainder of the regular season after the 20-year-old suffered a stress reaction in his lower back:
Fernando Tatis Jr. is likely done for the season.
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) August 16, 2019
A “stress reaction” is a precursor to a fracture, and the Padres are assuredly being extremely cautious with their young superstar. Even if he feels healthy enough to return sometime in September, Tatis will probably be held out of action given that the Padres are not in the playoff hunt.
Tatis has truly been a superlative talent whenever he takes the field. Despite playing in just 84 games this season, he racked up 3.7 fWAR (second among rookies) while clubbing 22 homers and stealing 16 bases. He also ranks second among all rookies in wRC+ behind Houston Astros rookie Yordan Alvarez.
Although it is a shame that Padres fans are unlikely to see Tatis again this season, they can take solace in knowing they have one of the brightest futures in baseball.
With Tatis, Manny Machado and Luis Urias all shaping up to be cornerstones of the infield and a farm system that is still the best in baseball, the Padres could indeed contend, and perhaps sooner than anticipated.
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