San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports)
The San Diego Padres have to remain patient as they wait for Fernando Tatis Jr. to return to action from his wrist fracture.
Hopes of the Padres getting Fernando Tatis Jr. back from his broken wrist by June don’t seem to be growing.
On Tuesday, manager Bob Melvin gave an update on the latest bone scan for the star player. It just didn’t sound particularly positive.
“We’re not quite there yet. So no bat in his hands at this point, but hopefully sooner than later,” Melvin said per Dennis Lin of The Athletic.
Padres sound frustratingly far away from Fernando Tatis Jr. return
Tatis Jr. hasn’t played at all this season because of the fractured wrist that needed surgery during spring training.
The fact that he’s not swinging a bat yet suggests he’s still several weeks away from returning to the lineup. Getting back into hitting form isn’t going to be a lightning-quick process.
It’s worth noting that Tatis Jr. didn’t even realize he had anything wrong with his wrist until he started swinging a bat in spring training. That’s how critical a role the wrist can play in that activity.
San Diego also won’t want to rush Tatis into his defensive duties fielding and throwing either.
Tatis Jr. was an All-Star last year with 42 home runs while batting .282/.364/.611.
His potential is endless. However, his injury record hasn’t exactly been great. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Padres opted to be very careful with his return this time. It’ll have to take a good deal of patience.