The San Diego Padres literally just reported to camp in Peoria, Arizona and they're already preparing to be without Fernando Tatis Jr for the foreseeable future.
Per AJ Cassavell, the superstar has suffered a fractured wrist and will miss up to three months.
Fernando Tatis Jr. has a fractured wrist, A.J. Preller says. “Up to three months of recovery time.”
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) March 14, 2022
The Padres shortstop apparently broke his wrist in the offseason. This is a shocking blow for San Diego though, who are looking to get back into contention in 2022 after missing out on the playoffs last season. Tatis Jr is arguably the most complete player in the sport, hitting .282 with an NL-leading 42 homers and 97 RBIs in 130 games in '21. He also swiped 25 bags.
Tatis did miss time with a shoulder injury though and was even moved to the outfield because of it. The Padres' roster is built to win right now and unfortunately, they failed to do so last year. However, the only way to actually stay afloat in the jam-packed National League West is with Tatis Jr healthy. He can truly do it all offensively and possesses all the defensive tools you could ask for, whether he's playing his natural position at SS or patrolling the outfield.
As Preller said though, the recovery time is up to three months. Opening Day is in mid-April and if he can rehab quicker than expected, Tatis could only miss around a month to worst-case, two months. After all, there are 162 games. It won't be easy, but the Padres should be able to remain competitive until he comes back. It will be interesting to see if San Diego makes any moves now in free agency to bring in another impact bat.
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