San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. is ready for his much-awaited MLB return and he isn’t bothered about critics.
San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. will be playing his first MLB game since 2021. Tatis, who has fought a lot of battles both psychologically and physically in order to make his return, is about to experience a monumental event.
After injuring his wrist in a motorbike accident during the offseason of the 2022 campaign, he was sidelined for the entire season. Due to the fact that he tested positive for an anabolic steroid in August, he was also granted a suspension of eighty games.
Tatis had developed into one of the league’s premier hitters before to sustaining the injury that led to his suspension. He finished in fourth place in voting for Most Valuable Player in both 2020 and 2021, putting him on the path to becoming a permanent candidate for the award. He has played in a total of 273 games over the course of three seasons and has amassed a batting line of.292/.369/.596 with 81 home runs and 52 stolen bases.
Tatis, a two-time Silver Slugger winner, performed exceptionally well during his rehab assignment in Triple-A. In just eight games, he had an astounding 1.802 OPS and collected seven home runs and 15 RBIs. Tatis will be facing a lot of criticism from opposing fans and media if he performs well due to his suspension, however, he isn’t concern about it.
Tatis said, “That’s gonna come. Everybody has freedom of expression in this country. Nothing I can do about it. I’m just going to keep playing this game and enjoy every part of it.”
What position will Fernando Tatis Jr. play in 2023?
Fernando Tatis Jr. has been moved off shortstop owing to shoulder issues, despite the fact that the position is more natural for him. Tatis was formally converted into a full-time outfielder after the Padres signed Xander Bogaerts to a contract worth $280 million over 11 years this past winter. This move allowed the Padres to fill that role on the diamond.
Trent Grisham, who had been recently leading off for the Padres as they awaited the return of Tatis, has been moved down to eighth place in the batting order. Bogaerts has also spent time at the top of the lineup; however, he now handles the chores associated with cleaning up.
After the Padres were so upset with Tatis’s drug ban that they ordered him to remain clear of the team during its postseason run, the Padres suddenly found themselves needing him and the spark he could give. Tatis has been told to stay away from the team throughout its postseason run.
The Padres have a losing record while having the third-highest salary in all of baseball, and the new position that Tatis is playing for them, right field, has a significant amount of open space. They have attempted four different players at that position, and together, they have a batting average of.180 with no home runs.
The Padres are hoping that Tatis has put the unwelcome drama from the previous season behind him after the emergence of Manny Machado as a team captain and the addition of Bogaerts, Juan Soto, Nelson Cruz, and Matt Carpenter, who have all brought a higher level of professionalism into the San Diego clubhouse. When he was struck with the PED punishment on August 12, he was on his way back from the injury he sustained while riding a motorbike and was getting ready to give San Diego a lift in the stretch drive.
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