What's gotten into Fernando Tatis Jr.? Padres star's recent skid shouldn't alarm fans

Every All-Star player goes through it. At least one point in any player's career, they go through a slump. For Padres' superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. is going through one, and he is not happy about it. While it is difficult to watch the MVP hopeful struggle at the plate, Tatis Jr. publicly showing a displeasure in his performance is a good sign.

It signals that he cares, and in this day and age, a superstar actually caring about him playing badly goes a long way with gaining trust and support from fans.

Tatis Jr. was given the day off on Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers, and maybe that's just what he needs. The every day grind of a 162-game season comes with its up and downs, so perhaps just sitting in the dugout for a day and watching the game can be a justified cleansing of the mind.

Tatis Jr. is back in the lineup on Sunday to close out the three-game slate against the Brewers, where San Diego will look to take the series victory with Ryan Bergert on the mound.

Entering Sunday, Tatis Jr. is batting 4-for-his-last-41 (.098). This stretch has dropped his season batting average from .303 down to .269 - and his OPS has fallen to .800. He has also struck out six times over his last five games, but let us not forget the superhuman that he can be.

He is still tied for 10th in the National League in home runs (13), tied for ninth in runs scored (43), and holds a respectable 122 OPS+. There's no need to worry yet on Tatis Jr. The Padres' season will likely make or break depending on how he digs out of this slump, but until then, Friars fans will just have to be patient with him. He's proven himself too many times to get worried one week into June.