It has been 563 days since Fernando Tatis Jr. played a Major League Baseball game and it’s been a long 563 days for San Diego Padres fans.
Finally, they get to see their star return to the lineup and his new position in right field. The Padres just went from having a scary lineup to having the most terrifying lineup in the MLB.
They’re bringing Tatis Jr. to Arizona for Game 1 of this four-game weekend series with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The Padres certainly need Tatis Jr. too, because they’re off to an 8-11 start. Today, they’ll hand Michael Wacha the ball.
The Diamondbacks are first in the NL West at 11-8 and Ryne Nelson will look to keep it that way as he makes his fourth start of the year. Wacha is 2-1 with a 6.06 ERA and Nelson is 1-0 with a 3.71 mark.
Let’s get into the odds for the Diamondbacks and Padres in Fernando Tatis Jr.’s return.
Padres vs. Diamondbacks odds, spread and total
Padres vs. Diamondbacks prediction and pick
First it was injuries then it was a steroid suspension, but finally we get to see one of the most exciting and dynamic players in the game of baseball actually on an MLB field for the first time since 2021.
In 2021, Tatis Jr. finished third in MVP voting after posting a .975 OPS with 42 home runs and 97 RBI. That was his age 22 season. Obviously it will take some time to knock off the rust, but if you plug that back into this lineup along with the defensive upgrade at shortstop with Xander Bogaerts who also lengthens the lineup.
This team is horrifying.
Ryne Nelson has a 3.71 ERA and a 4.56 FIP, so I expect some regression coming his way, especially with his sixth percentile strikeout rate.
Nelson was the beneficiary of a .156 batting average on balls in play in his 18.1 innings last year and he has a low BABIP of .245 in his 17.0 innings this season. That won’t continue and the Padres will pound him today.
San Diego is 22nd in team OPS and more surprisingly, they’re 19th in slugging percentage. Tatis Jr. will fix both of those and he’ll come out crushing from Game 1 of his season.
I’m happy that El Niño is finally back.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change