Under The Knife 8/12/22

Minor Arcana

My dad’s birthday is today and he’s probably by the pool. That’s good enough for me, so happy happy, dad. Let’s get to the injuries:

FERNANDO TATIS JR, SS/OF SDP (fractured wrist)

Fernando Tatis Jr. didn’t play Thursday night in Double-A Frisco, but it’s neither setback or send-home. It was just an off-day as the Padres decide what’s next. Tatis was supposed to play center field on Wednesday, but didn’t due to wet grass, but it’s a sign that the Padres want some flexibility with their roster and still have some concerns about Tatis’ shoulder.

It doesn’t look like Tatis will be called back this weekend, but there’s really nothing left for him to do there besides play the outfield. He’s looked good in the field, at bat, and on the bases. He’s had no apparent issues with the wrist, though I couldn’t find out if he’s had much in the way of special maintenance. I texted with a player at the game who said Tatis was very loose and open with players and staff and that he was laughing and joking both in the locker room and in pre-game. That doesn’t sound like someone having to do much pre- or post-game with treatment.

While we still don’t know exactly when Tatis will be up, I’d guess we’ll know by the time Monday’s newsletter comes out. There’s no reason to wait to get him in lineups and my guess is that even in weekly leagues, he’s worth putting in. I’ve done some research on over/unders with loaded lineups and I think there’s definitely a likelihood that those lines will be off, especially with the Marlins and Nationals as opponents. If the overs over adjust, there’s opportunity, especially if they catch Sandy Alcantara, scheduled for Monday.

Here’s one other question - I list Tatis with a fractured wrist because that’s what he had. It’s obviously healed up, but his days lost to it aren’t “right” on the front or the back. He didn’t lose time until Opening Day, though the injury itself happened well before Spring Training. He’s healed, but with the extended rehab, those days are still ticking up. It’s an issue of actual healing time, which is what most want to know, but in the real-baseball world, it’s never about that actual calendar.