Report: Tatis Jr. Undergoes Another Surgery

While his San Diego Padres are doing quite fine without him, thank you, all Fernando Tatis Jr. can do is sit idly by and watch his team head into the NLCS. But the suspended Padre will be doing it after undergoing yet another surgical procedure on his wrist.  

Fernando Tatis Jr. underwent another wrist surgery, per @sdutKevinAcee

He is expected to be ready by the start of next season. pic.twitter.com/48AiuJ4bvd

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) October 17, 2022

Padres beat writer Kevin Acee reports that the second wrist surgery was done to provide the wrist with greater long-term stability. He's also already recovering from recent shoulder surgery to repair a wonky shoulder that's given his problems over the past couple of seasons, so the Padres medical staff figured this was an ideal time to further correct the wrist as well. 

Tatis Jr. is currently sitting out an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance, and will be unable to return until late April (or early April if the Padres make a run into the World Series, burning more games off his sentence). 

He fractured his wrist in a motorbike accident in the summer of 2021, and was finally close to returning to the team in August of this year when the suspension came down. 

Ironically, the Padres are flying high without their superstar shortstop, about to start the National League Championship Series against the Philadelphia Phillies, after knocking off the vaunted 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers in the Division Series. 

Tatis has 12 years remaining on his 14-year, $340M contract. 

Photo: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports