Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. exited their game against the Giants on Monday with what looked like a potentially disastrous left shoulder injury.
The Padres found out Tuesday that Tatis suffered a “slight labrum tear” that will require a stint on the 10-day injured list, general manager A.J. Preller announced, though the results of his MRI were “pretty positive,” per Scott Miller of Bleacher Report. The Padres are recalling infielder/outfielder Brian O’Grady to fill Tatis’ roster spot.
It’s still not known how long Tatis will sit out, but the Padres don’t anticipate that he will need surgery. Preller told Bob Nightengale of USA Today and other reporters that there wouldn’t be any long-term risk in letting Tatis play again this year, and the Padres are hopeful he could return as soon as he’s eligible.
All things considered, it’s very encouraging news for the Padres, who signed Tatis to a 14-year, $340M contract extension before the season. The 22-year-old burst on the scene with an outstanding performance from 2019-20, and though the Padres will miss him for as long as he’s out, they remain a highly talented team with an interesting shortstop substitute on hand. The team signed former Korea Baseball Organization shortstop Ha-Seong Kim to a four-year, $28M deal in free agency, and he’ll start in Tatis’ place Tuesday.
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