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San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. back from suspension on Thursday and was in manager Bob Melvin’s lineup, hitting the first strike and manning right field for their eventual 7–5 victory over the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks. Tatis remained hitless in five trips to the plate, but his return has brought the San Diego lineup back to full strength for the first time in a long time. In the field, Tatis made an impressive ranging catch in the late innings.
Tatis suffered a broken wrist in December 2021 resulting from a motorcycle accident, and was sidelined as he recovered from surgery to repair that fracture. Last August, not long after Tatis began his minor league rehab assignment, he received an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing banned substance. While suspended, he underwent unrelated shoulder surgery and then a second procedure on his wrist. Add it all up and Tatis will play in a Major League game for the first time since the last day of the 2021 season – 565 days ago to be exact – on Thursday night.
Accordingly, shortly before the first pitch, Tatis addressed the media in a pregame setting for the first time in as long. “A bit like my debut in the big leagues,” Tatis told reporters. including AJ Cassavell. “It’s a little bit of those nerves again. I’m just happy to be here. Grateful for the opportunity. And like I said, we’ve got a long way to go. I can’t wait to contribute, to join my to be teammates and to be in that jungle.”
Tatis’ return to “that jungle” is, of course, a welcome return for the Padres. Even though they have a lot of star power in the lineup, what with the likes of Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Xander Bogaerts already in place, San Diego came into the game standings on Thursday night just 12th in the National League in points scored and 13th in OPS .
As for the 24-year-old Tatis, he brings to the surprisingly listless San Diego offense a scintillating career slash line of .292/.369/.596 with 81 home runs and 522 stolen bases in 273 career games. He is in the third year of a 13-year, $340 million contract he signed in February 2021.
As for his first game action in so long, when Tatis was announced for his first record appearance, he was greeted with a mixed reception at Chase Field in Phoenix:
In that first battlefield, Tatis struckout on a 2-2 cutter by Arizona starter Ryne Nelson. Leading up to the third, Tatis grounded to short, but the ball left the bat at an impressive 110.2 mph. He opened again in the fifth and flew a few pitches to the right after being buzzed high and in on the hands by Nelson. In Tatis’ last PA of the evening, he recorded his second swinging strikeout, this one off a splitter by reliever Scott McGough.
In the field, Tatis, a former shortstop who has moved to the outfield, neatly cleared whatever came his way, but toppled the cut-off man in the D-Backs’ big fourth inning, putting Geraldo Perdomo in second to his base hit. However, in the eighth, Tatis impressed with a sprinting snare off a ball off Josh Rojas’ bat:
If Tatis doesn’t make that play, Rojas will be in scoring position with the potential equalizer at the plate. Instead, Tatis’ flyout sent the game into the ninth inning, with the Padres still holding a two-run lead—a lead they had.
With the win, the Padres move to 10-11 on the season.
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