Tatis out until June with wrist surgery

Fernando Tatis, Jr., superstar shortstop for the San Diego Padres, will undergo surgery for a fractured wrist suffered during the offseason, per various reporters on Twitter (who are relaying an announcement from Padres general manager A.J. Preller). The surgery is expected to sideline Tatis for “up to three months,” which would mean into June.

This is a big blow to a San Diego Padres team that is looking to rebound from a very disappointing 2021 — and in particular, a very bad final two months, when the team went from near-lock for the playoffs to out of the race. The Padres do have depth among their position players to help cover the shortstop position, but they will still be without their best player for around a third of the season.

Tatis just turned 23, but is already one of the top five or so players in major league baseball. He has slashed .292/.369/.596 in 273 major league games over the past three seasons, finishing 4th in the MVP voting in 2020 and 3rd in 2021.