Padres' Fernando Tatis Says He 'Dodged a Bullet' With Injury Scare

Jun 21, 2025; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates after hitting a three-run home run during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. got a double dose of good news on Saturday, hitting a home run against the Kansas City Royals and receiving a positive injury update.

During the ninth inning of Thursday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Tatis was hit by a pitch, leaving the star outfielder writhing in pain.

The ball hit his wrist, causing concerns about a potential break, though tests indicated there was no serious damage done.

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Tatis reported feeling some pain and soreness, but he felt lucky to avoid a more serious injury.

“Definitely dodged a bullet,” Tatis told reporters.

“It dodged the bones of my wrist. That’s a delicate area. … Most of the players that get hit in that area, they sit down for a while, but gladly dodged that bullet, and happy I’m still on the field.”

Benches cleared during Padres-Dodgers after Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit

Dave Roberts and Mike Shildt had words for each other pic.twitter.com/5NQkbRKtlg

— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) June 20, 2025

In his return, he hit a home run for the first time since late May, marking almost a month between home runs.

He managed to keep getting on base at a good level, but his slugging was lacking compared to his usual standards.

Almost halfway through the season, the Dominican right fielder is hitting .268/.359/.460 and has created 3.4 fWAR.

Despite struggling for power, his home run total sits at 14 with 34 RBIs and 15 stolen bases.

Tatis's profile is well-rounded, ranking as a 90th percentile player in most hitting, fielding, and baserunning metrics according to Baseball Savant.

There is still room to grow whiffing on good pitches, but his season is great so far. If he can sustainably include power in his game, Tatis could have a second-half run for the National League MVP.

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