Padres' Fernando Tatis Provides Concerning Injury Update After HBP vs Dodgers

When the same batter gets hit three times by a rivalry team across 10 games, it is hard not to question if any of those pitches were intentional.

That's the case with two-time All-Star outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. 

After reliever Jack Little hit Tatis Jr. with a 93 mph fastball, the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers stormed out of their dugouts as it marked the third time Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch in two series.

Little was making his MLB debut, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts claimed the pitch was not intentionally directed at Tatis Jr. 

But whether it was intentional or not, the damage the pitch might have done to Tatis Jr.’s right wrist is concerning. 

Tatis Jr. underwent X-rays on his wrist to determine if there was any damage. The results showed no damage but Tatis Jr. said the results were “kind of inconclusive”.

Tatis Jr. said his wrist does not feel good, and he will undergo more imaging on Friday.

For what it's worth, he also said he did not think Little intentionally hit him. 

But he said it is not fun to play at Dodgers Stadium, referring to Los Angeles fans as “part of the circus”.

And the frustrations were mutual between the Padres’ players. 

Third baseman Manny Machado, who played the second half of the 2018 season with the Dodgers, said Los Angeles has “gotta pray” that the results of Tatis Jr.'s imaging comes back negative.

Additionally, reliever Robert Suarez struck Shohei Ohtani – the reigning National League Most Valuable Player – with a 100 mph fastball in the bottom of the ninth inning. 

Considering Tatis Jr. had been hit half-an-inning prior, there was no denying the intent behind Suarez’s pitch, resulting in his ejection from the game. 

It was also the second time Ohtani had been hit and the eighth time a batter was hit by a pitch during the two series between the teams.

The Padres will not face the Dodgers again until August 15 at Dodger Stadium. But even with a two-month gap between their next matchup, the tensions will likely remain just as high.

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