Suspended Shildt has no regrets, Fernando Tatís escapes serious injury

SAN DIEGO-- Whatever candles the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers lit after Fernando Tatís was hit on his right hand on Thursday night seems to have worked. 

"Yeah the candle worked, man," said manager Mike Shildt on Friday afternoon. "It was good. Lit the candle and he's sore, very thankful and grateful that no fractures or anything showed on any imaging. He's sore but said he wants to go compete. One tough mental and physical dude."

Tatís is back in his customary leadoff spot as the Padres start a three-game series with the Kansas City Royals. But the Friars will be without their manager for one game, as Shildt and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts were each handed one-game suspensions by Major League Baseball for their roles in a contentious brouhaha and shoving match at Dodgers stadium.

"I understand it, I accept my responsibility in it and I'll serve my game tonight and we'll move on."

Shildt was asked if he had any regrets about how he handed the situation after Tatís was hit in the ninth inning, the third time he's been hit by the Dodgers in seven games this season.

"It's a good question and I have thought about it. The one thing that I am responsible for is making sure we have a clean game. First of all, I represent our team, and take care of our team the San Diego Padres and our organization and our city. And then be a good steward for the game and be a good representation of how the game is supposed to be played. It's one thing that I've been intentional about my whole career and my career will speak to that. The circumstances were really challenging this past series."

"At the end of the day, I don't regret standing up for a guy that I love in Tatí and team that I love and a city that I love and an organization that I love. So in that regard, I have no regrets. You know how it got to that point? We can all have our comments and thoughts and theories but as far as my actions, it's not something that you want to do every night or needs to be done hopefully ever again. But appropriate actions for the circumstances were taken and I don't regret it at all."

The genuine on-field dislike between the Padres and Dodgers is one thing but have Shildt and Roberts taken it to another level? Shildt genuflected when asked if he and Roberts have a personal beef. 

"I'm competing for our team, there's some history that's very public with what happened last with Manny (Machado) that I took exception to. You know I handled that very privately. This got to be more public and it's ultimately about the defense of our team. And anybody that is going to take the steps that I feel is inappropriate against our team then I will take action."  

Shildt also took exception with the three-game suspension for closer Robert Suarez, who was immediately ejected after hitting Shohei Ohtani in the ninth inning. 

"There is an appeal, he's in good hands with the PA and I know the PA will take good care of him. We feel pretty strongly that that is a strong suspension. You know it was unintentional and there's a lot of different things that took place in the course of that series that we don't need to revisit. I do trust the league's office being judicious but we are taking exception with the three games, the volume of the games and actually you know, it period."

Suarez brushed off Roberts' accusation that he intentionally tried to hit Ohtani as payback for Tatís.

"From my perspective I was just coming in to to close out that game, look for the save opportunity," Suarez said Friday afternoon through interpreter Pedro Gutiérrez. "I was never trying to get into trouble or hit anybody. They're entitled to their opinion, they can say whatever they want. That was not the case, I just want in there to try and save the game. I had that opportunity but couldn't finish out because I was ejected. They're entitled to their opinion, they can say whatever they want. I know it wasn't intentional." 

Notable: Yu Darvish threw a simulated game at Petco Park early Friday afternoon. Shildt says Darvish said he felt good, had good velocity and the Padres will evaluate the next steps.

Padres outfielder Jackson Merrill, who was placed on the seven-game concussion IL list on Sunday went through his "pre-gameday routine" on Friday afternoon. 

"He's really made some strides," said Shildt. "Headaches subsided, nausea subsided, soreness in the neck subsided, clarity is coming back, focus is coming back. So all the good things, able to run, hit and throw today. Trending in a good place and we'll see what's the next step."

Merrill is eligible to come off the concussion list on Sunday but the Padres are being precautious with their star outfielder.