This offseason, the San Diego Padres rewarded their young superstar shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. with a massive 14-year, $340 million contract extension, locking the 22-year-old sensation up through his prime. Tatis has looked primed to become the next face of Major League Baseball, with his sensational two-way play, power to all fields at the plate as a middle infielder, and the tremendous flair with which he plays the game.
Joyful figures like Tatis are what many believe baseball needs more than anything right now, and the Padres are hopeful that he and Manny Machado can anchor their infield and help lead the Padres into being one of the game’s top teams. On Monday, however, the Padres nightmare came to life when Tatis crumpled to the ground after a big cut at the plate on a strikeout, clutching his left elbow and staying down in considerable pain before being walked back to the clubhouse by the training staff.
Fernando Tatis Jr. went back to the clubhouse after hurting himself on this swing pic.twitter.com/iQh81fkwjU
— SF Giants on NBCS (@NBCSGiants) April 6, 2021
It’s hard to see exactly what happens live, but the replays show Tatis appear to over extend his elbow on the follow through and immediately goes to the ground.
Here’s the Tatis injury + replays pic.twitter.com/9kC9EUH8jP
— Foolish Baseball (@FoolishBB) April 6, 2021
Hopefully it is more of a scare than anything, but it certainly didn’t look good. Until a firm diagnosis returns, the Padres, their fans, and MLB fans in general will be hoping for the best for Tatis.