Fantasy Impact: Fernando Tatis Jr. Returns

Fernando Tatis Jr. is eligible to rejoin the San Diego Padres Thursday, and his return could not come at a better time for not only the Padres but fantasy managers as well. The Padres (8-11) are currently 3.5 games behind the NL West-leading Arizona Diamondbacks, whom they will face Thursday night in Arizona.

Tatis has not played in a Major League Baseball game since the final day of the 2021 season, and it’s been 565 days since he was in uniform for the Padres. He began 2022 in the IL after a motorbike accident and, just as he was eligible to return, Tatis was found to have violated the league’s PED policy, for which he was served an 80-game suspension.

Padres fans and fantasy managers were disappointed, to say the least.

But the past is behind Tatis now, and those who spent heavily in their salary-cap leagues last season hopefully had the heart to give him one more try this year.

Tatis has been mashing at Triple-A, slashing .515/.590/1.212 with seven home runs, six walks and only three strikeouts in eight games. Six of those home runs came across the span of only 12 at-bats. This is welcome news for those who have high expectations for Tatis, who has had two wrist surgeries and shoulder surgery in the past year and was only cleared for baseball activities in January.

• VERDUCCI: Tatis Believes He’s Better Than Ever

The Padres lineup looks very different than it did when Tatis last played for the Friars, and it’s a team that was assembled to win now. San Diego has had Tatis and Manny Machado since 2019. Tatis will now be in a lineup with Juan Soto, acquired at the trading deadline last season, and Xander Bogaerts, a free-agent addition this year. With Bogaerts at shortstop, Tatis will also be playing a new position: right field.

Despite already having dangerous hitters at the top of their lineup, the Padres have been underwhelming this season. Their 3.79 runs per game are the sixth-worst in baseball.

Tatis is expected to bring the spark to get this offense going. He will resume his usual spot in the order batting leadoff. In 2021, Tatis led the National League with 42 home runs while also stealing 25 bases in only 130 games played. With the new 81% league-wide success rate for stolen bases, expect Tatis to be pesky on the basepaths.

Is it fair to be concerned about a player returning from a PED suspension and multiple surgeries? Yes, but there isn’t any player with more potential to vault your fantasy baseball team to the top of the standings than Tatis. He’s only 24 years old, he could qualify at both infield and outfield, he has both power and speed and he should hit .270-plus.

For those fantasy managers who patiently waited, and for Padres fans, happy Fernando Tatis Jr. Day. Let’s hope he stays healthy.