Padres Manager Provides 'Murky' Update on Fernando Tatis Jr Return

Tatis has been out since June.

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. showed good progress in his healing in an MRI last week, but his timeline to return remains "murky." The 25-year-old, who has been out with a stress reaction in his right femur, underwent an MRI during the MLB All-Star break.

While the results of the MRI were 'favorable,' Padres manager Mike Shildt noted that they are still unsure of when Tatis will return:

"Prognosis has continually been positive and favorable," Shildt said on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM. "We're in that slippery slope of how long do we wait to let it heal versus starting to ramp up activity. Good news is a lot of swelling and some of the day-to-day issues of him moving around are eliminated as far as pain goes. Now it's a matter of increasing a little bit of stress and seeing how he handles that. We're still a couple weeks away from what that looks like, and we're ramping up as we go. It's really kind of a murky timetable."

"It's really kind of a murky timetable"

Mike Shildt has the latest on when we might see Fernando Tatis Jr. back in the #Padres lineup:#LetsGoPadres

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— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) July 22, 2024

The Padres are expected to be without Tatis until at least mid-August, but this expectation could change when the timeline becomes more clear.

Tatis has taken some steps in his recovery, which has included an increase in baseball activities such as swinging a bat and playing catch. Prior to getting placed on the injured list, Tatis had been playing through pain for much of the season.

The two-time All-Star last played for the Padres on June 21, when he took just one at-bat before leaving the game. This season, Tatis has slashed .279/.354/.468 with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs in 80 games.