SAN DIEGO — The San Diego Padres have been one of the best teams in baseball and are hoping to make a playoff push.
On Monday, they received some positive news that could help them improve their postseason odds: right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. returned to the lineup against the Detroit Tigers on Monday.
Tatis spent the last 72 days on the IL nursing a stress reaction in his right femur, which is by the thigh bone.
Is the Dominican superstar 100%?
"It's not 100% but I've been clear from the doctors, and I feel good moving forward," Tatis said. "I feel really confident, and I feel like I can do anything out there in the baseball field."
He spent last week in Arizona ramping up his rehabilitation and he said he got about 30 at-bats.
Fernando Tatis Jr. makes his return tonight against the Detroit Tigers. Padres fans welcoming him back with open arms. pic.twitter.com/pYoP6RsImq
— Fernando Ramirez (@RealFRamirez) September 2, 2024
Before the injury, Tatis was batting .279 with 14 homers, 36 RBIs and eight steals in 80 games.
"Just add a little bit more to what this group has been doing," Tatis Jr. said. "I said it the day I was going down.
"This is a special group, and I know they're going to be playing good baseball, and boy, they have been handling it the right way."
Tatis is coming into a team that has been surging at the right time: 38-21 since his injury on June 22nd. They have been led by rookie sensation Jackson Merrill during his absence.
The Padres (78-61) entered Monday five games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and tied for the top wild-card spot with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tatis' addition comes at the right time, with the Padres now having Merrill, him, and Machado as the team's "big hitters."
The team is still awaiting the potential returns of pitcher Yu Darvish and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim.