Padres manager breaks silence after Fernando Tatis Jr. exits early with injury scare vs Athletics

San Diego Padres Manager Mike Shildt & Slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. (Photos via IMAGN)

San Diego Padres slugger Fernando Tatis Jr. has been a joy to watch early this season. Over 12 games, he is hitting .364/.442/.523 with two home runs, seven runs batted in, and five stolen bases.

Unfortunately, San Diego fans had to hold their breath on Tuesday when their club played the Athletics. In the second inning, the slugger winced on a swing and miss, but finished out his at-bat.

He later exited the game and was replaced by Jayson Heyward. With all the injuries the team has faced so far, this was the last person they wanted to see in pain. However, manager Mike Shildt provided a positive update on two-time All-Star.

"Checking out medically, everything seems to be intact and in good shape, and strength is good. He is not overly concerned, so we'll err on the side of caution tonight and evaluate him," said Shildt.

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The Padres manager revealed that nothing has jumped out at them from a medical standpoint. Tatis feels good and is not concerned with the injury, but San Diego will play it slow for now.

"Jake [Cronenworth] is [experiencing] some more cramping from two days ago from getting hit in the ribs. Like I said, it just cramped up on him and we've all cramped. Again, not overly concerned" he added."

Shildt also provided an update on Jake Cronenworth, who also exited the game early on Tuesday. Cronenwroth is dealing with some cramping in his right side that the organization is also not too concerned about.

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth are not the only Padres players dealing with an injury scare

San Diego Padres - Jackson Merrill and Fernando Tatis Jr. (Photo via IMAGN)

Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth are not the only Padres sluggers dealing with an injury. Jackson Merrill landed on the injured list on Tuesday, one week after finalizing his nine-year, $135 million deal.

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The slugger was placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to April 7, due to right hamstring tightness. This is not ideal, as the 2024 All-Star has gotten off to a blistering start

Merrill has played in 10 games so far this season. During that stretch, he hit .378/.415/.676 with three home runs, 10 runs batted in, and one stolen base.

He is eligible to return on April 18, 2025, when San Diego takes on the Houston Astros. It will be interesting to see if he can get back in the lineup or if this injury will cost him more than 10 days.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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Edited by Jared "Bloomy" Bloom