San Diego Padres plan to activate Fernando Tatis Jr. today

The San Diego Padres intend to activate starting shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. before today’s game against the Washington Nationals.

Fernando Tatis Jr. may return to the San Diego Padres after just two rehab starts, according to a new report from MLB.com.

MLB’s Padres beat writer AJ Cassavell claims unnamed sources told him that San Diego will activate Tatis Jr. from the injured list today if they’re satisfied with the results of his latest medical evaluation.

San Diego’s starting shortstop has been out since he injured his left hamstring on April 28, but looked impressive when playing at Double-A on Monday.

Further complicating the situation is that the Padres’ offense has struggled more and more without Tatis’ bat in the lineup. The team enters Thursday on a two-game losing streak.

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Tatis hit .300 in his first hundred at-bats with the Padres, while also proving to be excellent defensively and quick on the basepaths. His return would give San Diego an important offensive weapon, as well as bring back a key piece of their infield.

Should he start Thursday’s game, it will come with a small amount of irony: the San Diego Padres will be starting a series with the Washington Nationals, the team they were playing when Tatis was injured.

But there’s no doubt that they’ll be a better team with him in the lineup.

After losing on Wednesday, the Friars are now 11.5 games back in the National League West. They are just one game behind second-place Colorado, but a hot streak will be in order if they want to catch the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers—and bringing back a solid leadoff bat could lift the Padres offense enough to make that a possibility.

For complete coverage of the San Diego Padres 2019 season, continue following Friars on Base.