The San Diego Padres have been one of baseball’s biggest disappointments thus far in 2023. At 8-8 entering Sunday, and with a disappointingly below average offense, the Padres find themselves in an early battle for the division.
Help is coming soon. Fernando Tatis Jr. is eligible to return from his PED suspension on April 20, barring any postponements along the way. His return could be exactly what the lineup needs.
Fernando Tatis Jr. could help jumpstart San Diego Padres lineup
Tatis is expected to slot into right field once he returns as Ha-Seong Kim has taken over at short. If nothing else, Tatis should be a drastic upgrade over Jose Azocar, who has posted a mediocre .250/.276/.321 batting line in his 31 plate appearances thus far. Tatis, meanwhile, has a lifetime .293/.369/.596 batting line in his 1175 plate appearances in the majors, hitting 81 homers and 55 doubles while stealing 52 bases.
He certainly looks ready in Triple-A. Tatis is getting some work in to ensure that he is ready when his suspension is over and has been white hot thus far. He has six homers and a pair of steals, helping him to a .536/.618/.1.250 batting line in his 34 plate appearances. He is heating up at the right time for the Padres.
Tatis is not going to hit .536 for the Padres – he is no Luis Arraez after all. But he will easily improve the Padres’ lineup, providing another dynamic bat in the middle of their lineup. However, his presence should help jumpstart a Padres’ lineup that has not lived up to their potential to this point. Tatis’ return may be exactly what Juan Soto and Manny Machado need to get back on track. If so, the Padres could fulfill their expected destiny as NL West champions.
The San Diego Padres desperately need something to jumpstart their offense. Getting Fernando Tatis Jr. back could be the answer.
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