Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. likely to undergo surgery to repair fractured wrist

Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. fractured his wrist this offseason and is likely to undergo surgery that could keep him out as long as three months. The shortstop stressed that an official decision on the operation has not been made yet.

Padres GM A.J. Preller said the injury appeared to be an “older” one and said Tatis started to feel it more as he was ramping up for spring training. For what it’s worth, Tatis (and all other major league players) did not have access to team trainers or doctors during the lockout, and MLB teams generally do not appreciate players having surgeries without their approval, though it’s unclear whether this is a situation where Tatis put the surgery off for months on end.

Tatis, 23, finished third in NL MVP voting in 2021, even after a tumultuous season which saw him miss time due to injuries and move to the outfield in August after he struggled defensively at shortstop. He posted a .282/.364/.611 slash line with 42 homers and 25 steals for the Padres, who were unable to live up to the hype after an active offseason and ultimately did not make the playoffs, costing manager Jayce Tingler his job. While the Padres have a deep roster and could plug in Jake Cronenworth or Ha-seong Kim at short if Tatis misses significant time, his loss will be a major roadblock to San Diego’s ability to compete in an NL West that features the powerhouse Dodgers and Giants.