The Padres’ outfield situation worsened on Monday as Fernando Tatis Jr., the team’s reigning Platinum Glove winner and leader in home runs, was placed on the Injured List due to a right femoral stress reaction.
The team did not specify a timeline for Tatis’ return, but the star outfielder indicated to reporters after Monday’s 7-6 victory that he expects to be sidelined beyond the All-Star break.
A femoral stress reaction occurs when the femur struggles to handle the strain exerted by the quadriceps muscles, commonly affecting explosive athletes like Tatis Jr., who began feeling discomfort early in the season, according to Padres manager Mike Shildt.
We have made the following roster moves: pic.twitter.com/xQoHrY1rNQ
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“He’s likely been dealing with it for a while now,” Shildt remarked before Monday’s game. “While it hasn’t significantly affected his performance, we noticed it becoming more consistent in terms of his recovery and how he feels.”
This marks Tatis Jr.’s second encounter with a stress reaction injury; he also experienced a similar setback during his rookie season in 2019.
The Padres made roster moves by calling up outfielder Bryce Johnson from Triple-A El Paso and sending outfielder Jose Azocar back to El Paso. Johnson, a 28-year-old with 61 previous major league at-bats, joins Jurickson Profar and Jackson Merrill as the team’s primary outfielders, with utility player Tyler Wade also seeing recent outfield action.
Manager Mike Shildt also updated the status of starting pitcher Yu Darvish, who is recovering from a hamstring injury but will now delay his return due to elbow inflammation. Shildt reassured that they do not view the inflammation as serious, and rookie Adam Mazur will start in Darvish’s place.
The latest developments add to the Padres’ injury woes, with pitcher Joe Musgrove and second baseman Xander Bogaerts already on the Injured List. Jurickson Profar has been managing knee tendinitis, and Manny Machado continues to recover from offseason elbow surgery while dealing with a hip flexor strain.
Despite the setbacks, Shildt emphasized the team’s commitment to moving forward and finding ways to achieve their goals on the field.
These challenges are likely to prompt Padres general manager AJ Preller to consider acquiring additional outfield and starting pitching depth as the traditional trade season unfolds. The MLB Trade Deadline for this year is set for July 30 at 3:00 p.m. PT.
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