Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. suffered a scary-looking injury to his left shoulder Monday night. The San Diego star left the game immediately, and it’s not clear when he will return to action.
Tatis suffered the injury while whiffing on a breaking ball by Giants pitcher Anthony DeSclafani in the third inning in San Diego. Tatis appeared to hurt himself on a long follow-through to complete the swing.
MORE: Details of Tatis’ $340 million contract extension
Tatis went to the Padres’ clubhouse for observation. At 12:51 a.m. ET, the club announced he subluxated his shoulder and will be re-evaluated on Tuesday.
Here’s everything we know about Tatis’ injury and the latest news on when he may return to the field.
What is Fernando Tatis Jr.’s injury?
Tatis appeared to injure his left shoulder while swinging through a pitch on April 5. He left the field trying to keep the arm immobile. Per the team, he suffered a subluxation of the shoulder, which basically means his humerus popped partially out of his shoulder joint.
Tatis did hurt his left (non-throwing) shoulder late in spring training on a routine play in the field. It is not known whether the injuries are related.
MLB.com noted amid the March shoulder issue that the 22-year-old Tatis has had previous shoulder ailments as a professional. But he has not yet been placed on the injured list for a shoulder injury. He was on the Padres’ IL in 2019 with a hamstring strain and a stress reaction in his lower back.
How long will Fernando Tatis Jr. be out?
UPDATE: Padres manager Jayce Tingler told reporters April 15 (per MLB.com and the San Diego Union-Tribune) that he was “optimistic” Tatis would be able to return for the start of a weekend series against the NL West rival Dodgers on April 16.
ORIGINAL: A lot of people are asking that question, but there’s no answer at the moment. He will be re-evaluated on Tuesday but the general timeframe for a subluxation is a few weeks; although, it could be longer based on the amount of damage to the surrounding ligaments, tendons or rotator cuff.
Fernando Tatis Jr. stats for 2021 season
— Five games played
— 21 plate appearances (18 at-bats)
— .167 batting average
— .286 on-base percentage
— .333 slugging percentage
— One home run
— One RBI