Fernando Tatis Jr. Says Padres Didn't Let Him Mature in Infield

Fernando Tatis Jr. has been one of the best players in baseball since he debuted in 2019, and the San Diego Padres have benefited from it. San Diego has reached the postseason in four of the last six years, with Tatis being at the head of the ship.

But one area that has helped define Tatis' time with the Padres has been his versatility on defense. Tatis was brought up in baseball as an infielder, playing shortstop for the first few years of his career.

However, injury problems forced him to be moved to right field, where he proceeded to become a Platinum Glove-level defender.

But Tatis was very good on the dirt as well, and could have been a Gold Glove shortstop, too.

Tatis reflected on his time in the infield, saying that the Padres never really let him fully get used to playing the position.

“They never let me mature there,” Tatis said to the San Diego Union-Tribune. “… I like being in the dirt.”

The move was made to help preserve Tatis for the long haul, with the outfield being a little less rough on the body. But the veteran clearly misses playing in the infield, especially since it's how he was brought up.

Since the move to the outfield, Tatis has had an eagerness to get back to the dirt. The star hasn't forgotten about playing in the infield, despite all his success at being in the outfield.

Well, Tatis did get his wish this season as the Padres have been moving him to play second base at different times throughout this season. San Diego manager Craig Stammen said that Tatis would get the occasional start at second, mainly to help give others more rest throughout the season.

This versatility has allowed the Padres to have some much-needed flexibility within defensive structures and lineups, giving the team more options. Not all players around baseball can make moves like this and succeed, which is part of why Tatis is such a special player.

His defense has been very good for the Padres, but his offense is why he has become such a star in the league. Tatis has been one of the more electric players in the game, showcasing an impressive combination of power and contact at the plate.

This season has been a little bit of a struggle for Tatis, however, as he still has not hit a home run for the Padres.

On the year, Tatis has hit .248 with 12 runs batted in and 13 walks drawn, while putting up an OPS of .609. The team is hopeful that he can turn things around sooner rather than later, but for now, they're winning in spite of his slow offense.

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