Padres' Fernando Tatis Put on Hot Seat Ahead of Critical Month

San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. found redemption over the weekend when he hit his first home run of the season against the Washington Nationals.

For nearly three months, the slugger tirelessly worked to find a solution to the issues with his swing.

On Saturday, the burden was lifted.

But the Padres face an uphill battle if Tatis can't break out of his ongoing offensive slump at the plate. Beyond home runs, there are mechanical issues Tatis has yet to be free of.

This is concerning for the team as a collective as the summer begins. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller will work his usual magic at the trade deadline, but what kind of player he pursues largely depends on the state of the roster.

Currently, all three superstars in San Diego's lineup aren't performing up to standards.

Manny Machado, Jackson Merrill and Tatis haven't done enough to help San Diego win games, but that's not for lack of effort as manager Craig Stammen has said all three players are working in the batting cages day in and day out.

Despite all of this, the Padres are finding ways to win. This is an encouraging tale for the regular season, but the playoffs are a different entity and teams with struggling superstars don't usually find success deep into October.

Team insider AJ Cassavell argues that Tatis plays a crucial role in reviving a lackluster Padres offense, which is why the 27-year-old's performance is perhaps the most important of the trio of stars.

Tatis is slashing 266/.340/.318 with an 89 OPS+ (which is well below league average). His .318 slugging percentage is nearly 200 points lower than his career average, which coincides with the lack of homers this year.

He won't have another 42-home run season in 130 games like the 2021 campaign, but Tatis is expected to put up at least 20 home runs a year. The 2026 season hasn't seen the superstar side of Tatis, but the Padres will need him to be one down the stretch if the squad hopes to avoid an early exit from the postseason like in 2025.

"Take your pick. Tatis finally hit his first homer on Saturday, but the struggles have been pronounced. But Jackson Merrill and Manny Machado have actually been worse this season offensively. Realistically, the Padres need to get all three of their superstars hitting like superstars. But Tatis’ struggles have been the most glaring, largely because of who he is -- and, conversely, what he means to the Padres. When Tatis is rolling, it feels like the Padres’ offense usually is, too," Cassavell writes for MLB.com.

Perhaps the home run against the Nationals will spark something for Tatis this year. While it's too late for him to have an All-Star season, he can do something arguably more important and help the team win games down the stretch and into October.

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