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Fernando Tatis Jr. came into the 2023 season on a mission to prove to everybody that he could climb the same mountain he did two years ago despite everybody trying to tear him down.

Those same efforts have been continued by opposing fans as some people just refuse to let go of the fact that a young star in this league can make a mistake as he tries to recover as fast as possible to return to his team. It's easy to forget that Nando was only attempting to return to a Padres squad after suffering numerous injuries both on and off the field.

One of the most significant ones that everybody was worried about was a lingering shoulder issue that the 24-year-old short stop was struggling with. After getting hit with his suspension over PED usage, Tatis decided to finally undergo surgery and make the most of his time away from the franchise.

On top of the mental burden that would come with returning to MLB games, some doubters were not sold on whether Nando would be able to possess the same slugging power he had when he first broke out as a star a couple of seasons ago.

He is currently posting a slash line of .297/.328/.5331 and has been able to already connect on four home runs already with two of them recently coming against the legendary Clayton Kershaw.

El Niño is actually now swinging a with new technique and finish due to the surgery and he has still seen early success. A crowd of 45,116, Petco Park’s largest of the young season, watched the 24-year-old announce his return to power with a pair of reaffirming swings. On both occasions, Tatis, now featuring a repaired labrum in his shoulder, used a one-hand finish.

(Via The San Diego-Union Tribune)

“It’s just nice to not have it in the back of your head,” said Tatis, who became the first major leaguer with multiple multi-homer games opposite Kershaw. He added: “But I still think when I finish with two hands I’m a better hitter.”

(Via The San Diego-Union Tribune)

No matter what, he remains the same superstar and will continue to showcase that this season.