‘I’m ready right now’: Here’s the plan for Tatis
SAN DIEGO — The Padres eased Fernando Tatis Jr. into motion this spring – and why not? Tatis was coming off surgical procedures to his left wrist and shoulder and is not eligible to return from his PED suspension till April 20.
But because the crew broke camp on Monday afternoon — with Tatis remaining in Arizona and set to open the season at Triple-A El Paso — this a lot appeared abundantly clear:
“I feel like I’m ready right now,” stated Tatis. “Just keep building up. But if it would’ve been go-day tomorrow, I would’ve been ready.”
The finish of Padres camp got here with a little bit of readability for Tatis — concerning his subsequent step and concerning the crew’s plans for his return.
Tatis is permitted a 15-day Minor League stint earlier than he is eligible to rejoin the large league membership. He will start the 12 months at El Paso, then report back to San Diego a couple of video games earlier than his suspension runs out (although he’d be unable to attend these video games).
As for the Padres’ lineup as soon as he returns? After a spring’s value of batting-order hypothesis, supervisor Bob Melvin supplied a solution on Monday:
“It feels really impactful with him leading off,” Melvin stated. “I know he’s a guy that could be a middle-of-the-order guy, too, and knock in runs. And he enjoys doing that. But, man, it just feels like there’s a special kind of impact that he has leading off.”
If, certainly, Tatis is the crew’s most popular leadoff man, that may line up a high 4 that, on paper, seems to be like probably the most fearsome group within the massive leagues:
“It’s the havoc he causes,” Melvin stated of Tatis within the leadoff spot. “It’s the right-away for a pitcher, knowing you’ve got to face this guy to lead off the game. You’ve got to throw him strikes, or he’s probably going to steal second. And he’s got a lot of power on top of that, so he’s a very unique player.”
Melvin additionally acknowledged that his choice for Tatis within the leadoff spot can also be a testomony to Tatis’ well being. If the Padres have been involved about his shoulder and wrist, it is potential they’d have batted him decrease within the order, maybe fourth, maintaining him much less lively on the bases.
“Obviously we wanted to see how that went, once he was in games, on base and stealing bases,” Melvin stated. “It’s part of his game. So I would hate to have to take that away. Physically — knock on wood — he’s felt great the entire spring.”
Indeed, Tatis has proven no sick results of these surgical procedures. He’s additionally made a seamless transition to proper discipline, and Monday’s Cactus League finale lastly introduced the second he’d been ready for — the second an opposing baserunner dared check his arm.
In the third inning, Mariners catcher Tom Murphy tried to go first-to-third on a floor ball. Tatis delivered a one-hop strike to 3rd base, to nail Murphy. From the highest step, Melvin pointed throughout the diamond into the Seattle dugout, the place Ichiro Suzuki – now a Mariners particular advisor and as soon as the proprietor of the game’s most revered right-field cannon– evidently shrugged again at Melvin, “Like: Yeah.”
“That’s a special arm,” Melvin stated. “A true hop. He’s really going to be excited about opportunities like that. Once you start throwing a few guys out, I’m not sure how many you’re going to get. But that was pretty exciting stuff.”
“I feel like everybody knew what I’m capable of in the outfield with my arm,” Tatis said. “And I feel like we saw it today.”
Tatis seems to be totally having fun with himself in proper discipline, which appears to run in distinction to late-season 2021. Team officers have praised his funding in studying the intricacies of the place, touting a Gold Glove-caliber ceiling if Tatis can harness his instruments.
At the plate, in the meantime, Tatis began the spring slowly, hitless in his first 16 at-bats. Then, he went on a tear, ending the Cactus League 12-for-his-last-26 with a pair of homers. In brief: He started to seem like his outdated self on the plate once more.
“Once he gets going, this guy’s a premier athlete,” stated Melvin, who recalled managing in opposition to Tatis in the summertime of 2021. “It’s exciting to actually see it from this side.”
