“Please come back soon"; "This might cost him the season" - Padres fans in dismay as Fernando Tatis Jr. gets placed on injured list

On Monday, right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was placed on an injured list by the San Diego Padres due to a stress reaction in his right leg. He had been dealing with a quadriceps issue, and further imaging revealed a femur problem.

Tatis Jr. was hit by a pitch on his left elbow during a game against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday. As a result, he had to leave the game early and was unable to play over the weekend.

Several fans took to Twitter to share their reactions to the news.

“This might cost him the season,” a fan said.

“Hope this is all it is, lots of people want to troll, but you can’t deny he’s a face of the league,” another fan said.

“Please come back soon, baseball is better with Tatis Jr,” another fan wrote.

Many fans were already missing the superstar in his absence, while others expressed concern that he might need more time to recover.

“Everyone getting hurt this year 😭,” a comment reads.

“He fractured his femur. No bueno. He won't be back soon,” another comment reads.

“I'm looking forward to seeing Tatis come back healthy and cheerful. I miss him already 😭😭😭,” someone wrote.

In 80 games played for the Padres, Fernando Tatis Jr. has led the team with 14 home runs, batting .279 and driving in 36 RBIs.

Padres manager Mike Shildt discusses Fernando Tatis Jr.'s injury

2021 All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner Fernando Tatis Jr.'s absence is a big loss for the San Diego Padres. Regarding his injury, team manager Mike Shildt said (via MLB.com):

“He could still play - because he’s been playing with it. But it’s something that is not going to get better unless we rest it… We’re going to take some time, let him heal. He’s a young, great athlete. We’d anticipate for him to heal quicker.

“The show goes on. We’ve got to figure out how to continue to move this mission forward. … We’re going to get contributions from a lot of different people, and we’ve got to continue to find ways to shake hands at the end of games.”

Tatis is in the fourth year of his 14-year, $340 million contract with the club. The Padres, with a record of 41 wins and 41 losses, are currently ranked second in the NL West.