Padres' Mike Shildt sends warning to league after more Fernando Tatis Jr. drama

The San Diego Padres, just like every other team, know that pitchers are going to throw inside and even brush batters back sometimes. Pitchers want to make full use of the entire strike zone and that often means busting a guy in to keep them from leaning over the plate to get good swings on pitches on the outside part. Mistakes can happen and guys get hit, but that is just the name of the game and everyone who plays baseball professionally accepts that.

However, that hasn't been what's happening to Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. this season. While Tatis Jr. has only been hit by two pitches in 2024 thus far, opposing pitchers have been almost relentless about throwing him up and in to where it is almost routine that he has to dive to the dirt to avoid getting hit in the face or head.

Well, Padres manager Mike Shildt has had enough and put the league on notice, letting everyone know that San Diego isn't going to be tolerating Tatis Jr.'s treatment much longer after Friday's win over the Diamondbacks.

Padres News: Mike Shildt calls out teams throwing at Fernando Tatis Jr.

It is almost never good for teams to start escalating these sorts of situations. Guys can get really hurt and suspensions from purposefully throwing at hitters can make teams suffer in the standings. While this sort of old school "if we throw at us, we'll throw at you" thinking should be a relic of a different era, it is hard not to have some sympathy for Shildt and Tatis Jr. here. This isn't a one-off situation and it has clearly been a growing concern through the first month or so of the season.

Odds are that teams have some data to suggest that Tatis Jr. performs worse after he gets buzzed up and in. Given how Tatis Jr. can change a game singlehandedly, doing everything in one's power to get him off his game does have some value. There is also a chance that opposing pitchers/teams are trying to dish out their own form of punishment after Tatis Jr. was suspended for PED use back in 2022.

Whatever the reasoning may be, it needs to stop soon. Shildt's warning may have been his way of trying to get this nonsense to stop before the Padres feel forced to respond in kind. If that ends up happening, no one wins.

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