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San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. returned to the lineup for their series opener against the Detroit Tigers on Monday. The two-time All-Star had been sidelined for more than two months due to a stress reaction in his right femur.
After being activated from the 60-day injured list, Tatis entered Petco Park for the game and received a warm welcome from the home crowd. The ballpark was filled with cheers and shouts as the Dominican took the field.
Watch the moment Fernando Tatis Jr. receives a warm welcome from the San Diego Padres faithful below:
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Tatis last played for the Padres on June 21 against the Milwaukee Brewers but left the game due to a stress reaction in his right thighbone.
Despite being out for a long time, he didn't go on a formal minor-league rehab assignment. However, he spent last week at the team's facility in Arizona, practicing by hitting against minor-league pitchers.
When he was placed on the injured list, Tatis was batting .279 with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs in 81 games played.
Fernando Tatis Jr. opens up about his health and return to Padres
Fernando Tatis Jr. batted second during Sunday’s 3-0 victory against the Tigers. He had four hitless at-bats with one strikeout. Discussing his health and return to the team on Monday, he said (via ESPN.com):
"I'm in a really good place right now. It's not 100 percent, but I've been cleared from the doctors and I feel really good moving forward. I feel really confident and I feel like I can do anything out there on the baseball field.
"I'm really excited to just come and join the squad. Just add a little bit more to what this group has been doing. I said the day I was going down this is a special group and I know they're going to be playing good baseball, and the boys have been handling it the right way," he added.
The San Diego Padres (78-61) trail the Los Angeles Dodgers (83-55) for top spot in the NL West standings. The Padres face the Detroit Tigers again on Wednesday for the second game of their three-game series.
