Padres Manager Admits He's Trying Everything to Get Fernando Tatis Going

While the San Diego Padres have continued to win games this season, there is a concerning trend among the top of the lineup.

Both Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado have struggled mightily to open the year, and it has hurt the San Diego offense.

But between the two players, Tatis seems to be the more alarming issue for the Padres. Tatis has still not hit a home run this season, by far the longest drought of his career.

This has been a baffling experience for Tatis and the Padres organization, with the star simply struggling to lift the ball. But the Padres have done a lot to try and get his bat going, with manager Craig Stammen even moving him back to the leadoff spot over the last few games.

“Feel like you know he’s hit there a lot in his career,” Stammen said of the decision to move Tatis up despite his struggles. “He did so in the [World Baseball Classic] for Dominican Republic and just trying to get him going a little bit, put him in a comfortable spot that he’s hit in before.”

Over his career, Tatis has normally been one of the more electric hitters in the game, but his swing just hasn't been there in 2026. Overall, Tatis has played in 46 games for San Diego, hitting .233 with 15 runs batted in and 11 stolen bases, while posting an OPS of .579.

Somehow, the Padres have been able to still win games despite the struggles from Tatis, which is a testament to the entire organization. But for this team to reach their ultimate goal of winning a World Series this season, Tatus will need to get going at the plate.

The entire offense for the Padres, outside of a few hitters, has been inconsistent to open the season. The coaching staff has been trying different ways to get the team to break out, including moving guys all around the lineup.

Hitting coach Steven Souza Jr. has received some criticism for the lack of hitting, but the team has backed him fully.

“It’s not about him as a hitting coach,” Stammen said. “It’s about all of us collectively. It’s our hitting department. It’s all of us. … We’re struggling. Who is to blame? We’re all to blame. … Our performance, the buck stops with me, because I’m the manager.”

San Diego is in first place in the NL West despite the offensive struggles. So the hope is that Tatis and others will break out sooner rather than later, and when they do, the sky can be the limit for this team.

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