Fernando Tatis Jr’s Time in AAA is Over, Will Travel to Arizona with Padres

El Niño is with the team; the return is nearing

The countdown for Fernando Tatis Jr.'s return is officially underway. We're three days away from the return, and he couldn't come at a better time for the Friars. Monday will be the 78th game of his suspension, and as it nears, he will no longer be playing for the Padres triple-A affiliate El Paso Chihuahuas. 

  

Fernando Tatis Jr. will work out at Petco Park the next three days and travel to Arizona with the team after Wednesday’s game.
The plan is for him to not play another minor league game.
(He is still suspended, so he will not be on the field by the time gates open to the public.)

— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) April 17, 2023

Fernando Tatis Jr. will work out at Petco Park the next three days and travel to Arizona with the team after Wednesday’s game. The plan is for him to not play another minor league game. (He is still suspended, so he will not be on the field by the time gates open to the public.)

Padres field reporter Annie Heilbrunn noted us on Sunday that the 24-year-old superstar will work out at Petco Park from now till Wednesday. 

The suspension was a huge blow for the Padres chances of winning it all last season, and his return will be a massive plus for the gold and brown. Tatis Jr. impacts the game in so many aways, and he'll need to bring some explosion that the Padres have been lacking for quite some time now. 

He's been playing out of this world in his time with El Paso; in eight games, he had an OPS of 1.868. It was almost unfair having him out there against guys he's head and shoulders above on all facets of the game. Nonetheless, we're only mere hours away, the Pads need him, he's been playing exceptional, and everything seems to be coming in line for the Friars.