Taylor Bicht
2 min read • June 25, 2024
Posted in
Star San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr., who was initially reported to be dealing with a quad muscle injury, has now been updated to have a bone issue. He has been placed on the 10-day injured list (IL), but we at sicscore.com believe he will be sidelined for much longer.
This development is concerning for the Tatis Jr., and manager Mike Shildt was careful not to call the injury a stress fracture but acknowledged it involves degrees of severity. The injury is being described as a stress reaction, which is a bone issue, and there is no such thing as a minor stress reaction.
The stress reaction causes pain not when going full speed but during deceleration, acceleration, and while jogging. It is heroic that Tatis has played through this injury, reportedly dealing with it for some time. The good news is that if it is not a stress fracture, surgery will not be needed, allowing for a quicker recovery. Stress reactions heal with rest but take weeks, not days.
Our panel of Pro Baseball Docs believes that avoiding the 60-day IL might be the best-case scenario, but an extended stay is expected due to the severity of the injury compared to a quad strain. Although Tatis has played through the pain, continuing without proper rest would worsen the condition.
The Padres cannot risk making the injury worse, as Tatis is too valuable to lose for the season. This significant issue will likely remove him from the National League MVP race, shifting value towards players like Philadelphia Phillies' Bryce Harper and Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani. Given that Tatis is expected to be out closer to 60 days than ten, the impact on the Padres and the MVP race is substantial.
Written by Taylor Bicht
