San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is expected to be ready for spring training after recently undergoing a wrist operation, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Tatis, who is currently serving an 80-game suspension after failing a performance-enhancing drug test in August, had previously undergone wrist surgery in the spring to "repair a fractured scaphoid bone." Some concern had been expressed about how long the repair would function. As such, the follow-up operation is believed to have made his wrist more secure with the insertion of a central screw.
Tatis originally injured his wrist in an offseason motorcycle accident that left him sidelined for the first half of the season. He was nearing his return to action when he was suspended, wiping out his 2022 campaign without him taking a single big-league at-bat. As per the Joint Drug Agreement, Tatis was barred from participating in these playoffs, no matter how deep the Padres were able to advance.
This marks the second time Tatis has gone under the knife since being suspended. He had the partially torn labrum in his shoulder repaired in September.
"We were expecting him to be ready to go for spring training," Padres executive A.J. Preller told reporters, including Acee. "The timing of the shoulder surgery and the wrist follow-up surgery should line up with the same timeline. He should be able to go for spring training."
It should be noted that Tatis is benefitting from the Padres' playoff run. The JDA stipulates that postseason games count toward his suspension allotment. Whereas he was scheduled to miss San Diego's first 32 games next season, he'll instead miss the first 21 at most. That number could continue to dwindle if the Padres advance to the World Series. Either way, he's likely to be back sometime in April.
