Padres' Fernando Tatis Thought He Was Out for Season After Latest Injury

Fernando Tatis Jr. thought his season was over after being hit on the forearm by Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Michael Keller’s 93 mph sinker on Friday.

“When I got hit yesterday, I thought I was probably out of the season,” Tatis said to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee. “You know, you see a ball just growing on your forearm, it ain’t fun. But shout out to the training staff doing a great job keeping me on the field and find the way not to (make)  excuses and just execute.”

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Tatis Jr. exited the San Diego Padres’ 9-4 victory over the Pirates in the third inning after being struck by the pitch. After being evaluated by trainers, Tatis Jr.’s X-rays determined that he had suffered a bruise.

Acee also reported that Tatis Jr. sustained a hematoma, which was created by a popped blood vessel and caused the swelling on his arm. 

Fortunately for the Padres, the injury was not severe enough to place Tatis Jr. on the injured list. The All-Star right fielder started for San Diego in the second game of the series against Pittsburgh and logged one run and one hit. 

Tatis Jr. is slashing .342/.414/.598 and has hit a team-leading eight home runs and 18 RBIs in 31 games this season, making him one of the Padres' top hitters.

The Padres already have multiple key players on the injured list, including All-Star center fielder Jackson Merrill. The 22-year-old is nearing the end of his recovery and will start a rehab assignment with Double-A San Antonio on Saturday.

Missing both Tatis Jr. and Merrill in the outfield and the lineup would have been a major disadvantage for the Padres.

San Diego fans witnessed this in the final game of the Padres’ series against the Athletics on April 9. The same day the Padres placed Merrill on the injured list (April 8), both Tatis Jr. and second baseman Jake Cronenworth exited the game early with injuries.

The next day, outfielders Oscar Gonzalez and Brandon Lockridge replaced Tatis Jr. and Merrill, respectively.

Although the Padres pulled off a 2-1 win, having Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. in the lineup is crucial as San Diego looks for another shot at a World Series title.

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