Padres News: Fernando Tatis Jr. Reflects on 'Hard Work' to Reach NLDS

The Padres have returned to the NLDS.

Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

With back-to-back wins against the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday and Wednesday, the San Diego Padres won their National League Wild Card Series matchup and advanced to the National League Division Series, which begins Saturday.

Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. played a pivotal role in the Padres' victory over the break. In Tuesday's win, Tatis hit a two-run home run to lift San Diego to a 4-0 shutout victory. On Wednesday, he recorded three hits and one run in the Padres 5-4 win, clinching their trip to the NLDS.

"It's just amazing," Tatis said, via MLB Network on X. "The hard work that we have put in over here, it's a lot of dedication, a lot of players playing through injuries, we have the top squad over here, it's just amazing."

"The hard work that we have put in over here, it's a lot of dedication... it's just amazing."@tatis_jr and the @Padres are headed to the NLDS after tonight's win!#MLBTonight | #Postseason pic.twitter.com/3b8nDbRxtJ

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 3, 2024

Tatis is one of the team's players who has had to overcome a significant injury this season. Tatis missed over two months with a stress reaction in his right femur and did not play a game during either July or August. Even before he went on the injured list in June, Tatis had been dealing with the injury through the start of the season.

The injury did not prevent Tatis from making his second-career MLB All-Star team, and over 20 home runs again.

Along with Tatis, multiple other Padres also put in work and/or overcame injuries to lift the Padres to this point. Padres pitcher Michael King transitioned from a reliever to a starting pitcher this season and emerged as arguably the team's best pitcher over the course of the season. In his first career postseason start, King shut out the Braves and struck out 12 in a dominant victory.

Both starters Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish dealt with multiple injuries this offseason before they could return to help the Padres make their playoff push.

Rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill made the transition from shortstop to center field before becoming one of three center fielders in the last 50 years to debut before the age of 21, along with Ken Griffey Jr. and Andruw Jones. Merrill later became the Padres' first rookie All-Star and is a favorite to win the NL Rookie of the Year award.

Outfielder Jurickson Profar put in a career year and made his first career All-Star Game after he went unsigned during free agency until February.

These Padres stars have overcome unexpected offs, but battled after a disappointing 2023 campaign for a chance to advance to the NLCS.