Fernando Tatis Jr is one of the new faces of baseball. He’s exciting to watch, an electric player that will leave all on the field on every single chance he gets. But that may not be what the San Diego Padresneed right now.
It didn’t take long before Tatis Jr proved that he could be a superstar in the league. Then again, his proneness to get hurt has raised several red flags within the Padres organization, especially after signing him to such a big extension in the offseason.
That’s why, now that he’s almost eligible to return to the lineup after his third stint in the IL this season, the Padres want him to move to the outfield to try and keep him safe and sound for the playoffs.
Padres Want Fernando Tatis Jr To Play In The Outfield
(Transcript via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com)
“Tatis took to the outfield, where he shagged fly balls in center and eventually moved to right field for one-on-one work with outfield coach Wayne Kirby. It seems increasingly possible — perhaps likely even — that when Tatis returns, it will be as an outfielder. Though the club maintains that no decision has yet been made on that front.
Internally, the Padres feel as though a move to the outfield might be the best way to preserve Tatis for the stretch run. He has suffered a series of four or five shoulder injuries already this season. The latest dislocation was the worst of the bunch, and it landed Tatis on the IL on July 31. Although he’s eligible to return on Tuesday, he is not ready just yet.
At the minimum, Tatis is looking at a few more days of rehab — during which he’ll continue to get pregame reps in the outfield. The early returns are positive.”
Moving Tatis Jr to the outfield would make sense from that standpoint. The only way to stabilize his shoulder and prevent another injury would be to have season-ending injury, so they’re obviously looking to avoid that for now.
The Friars have Jake Cronnenworth and Ha-seong Kim, both of who are more than capable of successfully playing shortstop. They need Tatis’ bat back in the lineup and they know they don’t stand a chance in the NL West unlesshe’s at full strength.
