Padres ‘in for something special’ as Tatis rejoins club
With three video games remaining on his PED suspension, Tatis rejoined the group at Petco Park on Monday and won’t play any further Minor League video games earlier than his return.
Tatis labored out with the Padres throughout early batting follow however left the ballpark earlier than gates opened to the general public, as he’s mandated to do whereas serving the rest of his suspension. That suspension is scheduled to finish Thursday in Arizona when the Padres face the D-backs.
Tatis’ efficiency at Triple-A El Paso ought to point out he’s as able to return as he’ll ever be. In eight video games, he had an absurd slash line of .515/.590/1.212.
“You saw the numbers leading up — it looked like he was seeing the ball pretty good,” Padres supervisor Bob Melvin mentioned. “We’ll just try to bubble-wrap him, get him to Arizona, and he’ll be in that first game there.”
Toward the top of his rehab stint, Tatis’ offensive efficiency reached a distinct degree. In his remaining three video games, he went 11-for-16 with six residence runs.
“He needs to get up here ASAP. I’ve never seen anything like that,” mentioned catcher Brett Sullivan, who was known as as much as the Padres on Sunday previous to Tatis’ remaining sport with El Paso. “You guys are in for something special when he comes back. He’s ready.”
Tatis was suspended for 80 video games final August after he examined constructive for Clostebol, a efficiency enhancing substance. He was permitted a 15-game rehab task earlier than his return, although the Padres selected to not use the complete allotment of these video games.
When Tatis returns, he’ll accomplish that because the group’s leadoff man and proper fielder. He made the change to the outfield from shortstop after the group signed Xander Bogaerts within the offseason. The Padres expressed a desire for Tatis to play outfield, anyway, upon his return, following a trio of surgical procedures in 2022 — two on his left wrist and one on his left shoulder. The workload there can be a bit lighter as he reacclimates to the massive leagues.
Tatis hasn’t performed an MLB regular-season sport since 2021, when he completed third in NL MVP voting. He fractured his wrist previous to the ’22 season, then was suspended in August throughout a rehab task, simply earlier than he was wholesome sufficient to return.
