The San Diego Padres will begin their 2022 season without star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., who is out up to three months with a fractured wrist.
On Monday, via 97.3 The Fan, Tatis spoke to reporters about the injury. He said he felt increasing discomfort while intensifying his offseason workouts, but he’s not certain about having surgery since he’s a “fast healer.”
How the injury may have occurred will raise more eyebrows. Tatis revealed he had a motorcycle accident during the winter. He said he only felt “bruises” and didn’t think there was any serious damage.
Fernando Tatis Jr. discusses his wrist injury and how he feels right now: pic.twitter.com/MrsGBBqPhA
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) March 14, 2022
“I didn’t feel that much at the time,” Tatis said. “It’s something that just, one or two weeks that feels like when you get jammed in your wrist when you slide at second base. It’s kind of the same feeling.”
Later, he admitted to having a “one more fall” that “was nothing crazy.” When a reporter asked him when the accident occurred, Tatis replied, “Which one?”
Fernando Tatis Jr. discusses his reaction to finding out the severity of his injury: pic.twitter.com/VU85MSKeyr
— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) March 14, 2022
As ESPN’s Jesse Rogers noted, it’s not the best sign when your team’s superstar — who signed a 14-year, $340 million extension last winter — needs clarification on the offseason accident in reference.
He admitted to falling off a couple times this offseason. Lockout didn’t help in terms of communicating with Padres. Said they weren’t serious falls…then prob with wrist appeared when ramping up for baseball https://t.co/VGTvHxWlo4
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) March 14, 2022
According to MLB Network’s Jon Heyman, members of the Padres organization believe the injury may have resulted from the fall despite Tatis downplaying it.
Fernando Tatis described his early December motorcycle accident as “minor scrapes,” but folks close to the situation wonder whether he suffered the wrist fracture then. When he felt pain hitting in a scrimmage a month ago doctors suggested the wrist injury did not look new.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 14, 2022
Given their long-term commitment to Tatis, the Padres couldn’t have been happy to learn of this injury and potential cause. Then again, they’re likely not the only team discovering bad news they normally could have learned sooner at the end of a 99-day lockout.
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