San Diego Padres: Fernando Tatis Jr. rules out surgery on his shoulder

Fernando Tatis Jr.‘s shoulder has been an ongoing issue this season for the San Diego Padres. His partial dislocation has led to stints on the Injured List and a position change to the outfield as the Padres attempt to keep him healthy for the rest of this season. It seemed inevitable that he would have surgery on the shoulder at some point in the offseason to be ready for next year.

But that is not going to be the case. Tatis has said that he has ruled out having surgery on his shoulder, trusting that the care he has taken of his body will be enough.

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. not planning on surgery

It is not surprising that Tatis would look at his shift to the outfield as a temporary move. He had signed a long term extension to be the Padres’ shortstop of the present and future, not to head to the outfield. Add in their already crowded outfield picture, and there is no reason to keep Tatis there for the long term.

Likewise, that shoulder has not affected him when he has been in the lineup. Tatis has produced a .280/.366/.635 batting line in his 445 plate appearances, hitting 37 homers and stealing 24 bases. He may end up as the National League MVP despite that missed time.

But that is the concern. While his shoulder is not going to get worse at this point, it is a matter of staying healthy. The Padres did not make that sort of investment for Tatis to spend time on the Injured List every year with something that could be fixed with what is considered a relatively minor procedure.

Maybe this will work out. Maybe Tatis can manage his shoulder so that he can continue to be a force at the plate and improve his defense while staying healthy. Or he will end up having the surgery anyway, his hopes of managing his issues going for naught.

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. does not plan on having surgery on his shoulder. Time will tell if this was the correct decision.