What does this mean for the Padres?’
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Well, there are some positives coming out of the injury.
- Tatis can get back to full health and be ready to go for 2020 when San Diego’s contending era will officially begin.
- Ty France gets another opportunity, and not just to play 3rd until Tatis comes back, but to try his hand at second base.
France is obviously blocked at third base, so while a trade may be his best chance to excel elsewhere, the Padres have aren’t going to give up on him.
The Tatis injury lets Urias, who the Padres like defensively, at shortstop to slide over to perhaps build his trade interest by being able to play both middle infield positions.
It also, as I said, lets France go to second base. The Padres will try him at second base in an attempt to have their own “Max Muncy” prototype at second base.
He was hitting .399 with 27 home runs back in El Paso, so he was just waiting for another chance at the big leagues.
France has much more power than Urias and is more consistent at the plate, and these days defense isn’t as the shortstop position.
While Tatis was hurt earlier in the year with a hamstring injury after doing the splits at second base in Washington, France played more at third than he did at second base and while he was back in Triple-A El Paso he has been working at second base.
Now, when it comes to the lineup, I can see Andy Green putting center fielder Manuel Margot in that spot when he is on the field, but when he isn’t on the field Travis Jankowski (who they called up for Kinsler) would be a speed option and Luis Urias works as well.