Fernando Tatis' Bat Responsible for Biggest Home Run of Padres Season

The San Diego Padres needed a home run in the bottom of the ninth inning of Sunday's matchup against the St. Louis Cardinals. Fernando Tatis Jr.'s bat provided the two-run blast in the ninth inning — but the Padres star didn't hit it.

Instead, the bat was on loan to Nick Castellanos.

Castellanos broke his own bat on a foul ball and went to the dugout to find a replacement. Tatis offered his, and Castellanos returned to the plate.

While Tatis has yet to hit a homer this season, his bat connected for a two-run bomb by Castellanos. The Padres proceeded to win in walk-off fashion in the 10th inning on a sacrifice fly from Manny Machado.

NICK CASTELLANOS TIES IT WITH TWO OUTS IN THE 9TH 😱

It’s a brand new ballgame in San Diego! pic.twitter.com/3rnNyovulY
— MLB (@MLB) May 10, 2026

Sunday's win over the Cardinals proved two very important points for the Padres.

For one, Castellanos is finally filling the role expected of him. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller orchestrated the bargain of the offseason by signing the All-Star to the league minimum salary after he was released by the Philadelphia Phillies.

Castellanos' role in 2026 is far different from the job he's had previously throughout his lengthy tenure in MLB. The Padres weren't a team where he could play every day.

This season, Castellanos was asked to rotate in as an outfielder and designated hitter to provide quality at-bats late in games. He was also given the task of transitioning to first base for the first time in his career.

The inconsistent starts proved to initially be difficult for Castellanos, who was hitting .164 with a .493 OPS through the end of April. However, the All-Star appears to have found his stride as he's batting .278 in May with a .763 OPS.

On Sunday, Castellanos had his biggest swing yet as a Padres and showed the pop he can add to the bottom of the San Diego lineup.

Why Has Fernando Tatis Jr. Struggled This Season?

The series finale against the Cardinals also proved that Tatis' bat still is capable of launching homers. The Padres star is hitting .243 with 15 runs batted in, a .611 OPS and 10 stolen bases.

Tatis appears to be dealing with some mechanical issues, making his swing more flat and generating more ground balls. His reduced pull rate this season has also played a factor in the ongoing home run drought.

Manager Craig Stammen confirmed Tatis has been tirelessly searching for a remedy to his struggles at the plate.

“He’s working in the cage every day. It’s not for lack of effort,” Stammen said. “He’s trying new things and trying things to unlock himself. I think sometimes he feels really close and then it turns a little bit the other way, facing tough pitching, and he’s not able to stay on that hot streak.

“We’ll keep working. He’s going to keep working every day. I trust that his ability is eventually going to come through and he’ll be just fine.”

Maybe Tatis' bat launching a home run will give the Padres' star some luck moving forward.

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