Fernando Tatis Jr. injury update: Padres star hits live pitches (video)

San Diego Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. has yet to make his season debut. He entered the season on the injured list with a wrist fracture, and his return timeline has been unclear. On Tuesday, he began hitting live pitches.

Tatis looked healthy hitting live pitches with ease in a Tweet posted by Dennis Lin from The Athletic.

Tatis indicated that he felt good hitting.

Tatis brings power to the San Diego lineup, and his return is long-awaited by fans and rivals alike. Earlier in July, rival Aaron Judge said he “can’t wait” for Tatis to return. Tatis has had an impact on MLB that many admire.

He’s expected to start a minor league rehab assignment in San Antonio early next week.

Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. is expected to start MiLB rehab assignment soon

Tatis’ start of his rehab assignment will be one of the biggest breakthroughs in his injury recovery. His return will likely have a big impact on the Padres.

Last season, Tatis was the best hitter on the team. He hit .282/.364/.611 for an OPS of .975. He also produced a great isolated power of .328. The Padres offense has been inconsistent and unsustainable without him this season.

Manny Machado has been carrying the lineup in place of Tatis, but the results aren’t quite the same. Machado is extremely talented and was recognized for that by his starting position during the 2022 All-Star Game. He hits with power, but not like Tatis.

Machado is hitting .301/.372/.509 for an OPS of .881 this season. He has a high isolated power of .208, which is still significantly lower than Tatis’ from each season.

If Tatis’ healing continues to go as planned, he could be back in San Diego’s lineup soon.