San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. received positive news from an MRI this week, showing good progress in his recovery from a stress reaction in his femur. According to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Tatis can continue to increase his baseball activities, which have already included playing catch and swinging a bat.
Despite this encouraging update, Tatis is not expected to return until August, missing the initial target of a return closer to the All-Star break. The Padres begin the unofficial second half of the season on Friday in Cleveland against the Guardians.
Tatis has been sidelined since June 21 after being hit by a pitch, which led to his placement on the injured list on June 24 due to a right femoral stress reaction. This injury also kept him out of the MLB All-Star Game, despite being selected as a National League starter in the outfield for the second time in his career.
Earlier in the season, Tatis played through a quadriceps injury before being advised to stop to prevent further damage. Throughout his career, he has faced various injuries, including back issues, multiple shoulder subluxations, and a fractured scaphoid bone. He also missed 100 games due to a suspension following a failed drug test in August 2022.
When healthy this season, Tatis was performing well, hitting .279/.354/.468 with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs, and enjoyed a 17-game hit streak.
