Fernando Tatis Jr. Legged Out the Wildest Double of the Year So Far on a Check Swing

Fernando Tatis checks his swing but makes contact with the ball against the Atlanta Braves.
Fernando Tatis checks his swing but makes contact with the ball against the Atlanta Braves. / Screenshot via MLB on X
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Fernando Tatis Jr. got the San Diego Padres off to a hot start in the opening inning against the Atlanta Braves on Sunday night, getting things going with a leadoff double.

Tatis didn't put the best swing on the ball––in fact, he barely put any swing on it whatsoever.

The Padres right fielder attempted to check his swing on an inside pitch but ended up making contact with the ball and sent it down the first base line into the outfield. After realizing the ball was in fair territory, Tatis quickly started sprinting down the line and ended up reaching second base with a leadoff double.

Have a look at the bizarre two-bagger from Tatis:

That certainly wasn't the outcome Tatis was expecting when he tried to check his swing, but it ended up working out quite nicely for the 26-year-old, who later came around to score after reaching second base on the unorthodox double.

While that hit won't show up among the Statcast leaders in terms of exit velocity, it got the job done as Tatis accounted for the game's opening run.


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Karl Rasmussen
KARL RASMUSSEN

Karl Rasmussen is a staff writer for the Breaking and Trending News team for Sports Illustrated. A University of Oregon alum who joined SI in February 2023, his work has appeared on 12up and ClutchPoints. Rasmussen is a loyal Tottenham, Jets, Yankees and Ducks fan.