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San Diego Padres: 3 questions about the return of Fernando Tatis Jr.

By Kevin Henry

Jul 8, 2021; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 8, 2021; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a home run against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /
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ST. LOUIS, MO – SEPTEMBER 19: Fernando Tatis Jr #23 of the San Diego Padres churches in center field during a pitching change in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on September 19, 2021 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO – SEPTEMBER 19: Fernando Tatis Jr #23 of the San Diego Padres churches in center field during a pitching change in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on September 19, 2021 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) /

The second question: Will Fernando Tatis Jr. play in the outfield in 2022?

When Bob Melvin was hired as the manager for the Padres this offseason, one of the quotes from San Diego general manager A.J. Preller about Melvin’s abilities was, “It was immediately evident how he’s been able to bring out the best in his players throughout his managerial career.”

With Melvin taking over before the season and Tatis Jr. yet to see action on the field, San Diego’s new manager has never worked with Tatis Jr. in a game situation to this point. He can see how Tatis Jr. fared last season when Tatis Jr. played 24 games in the outfield in an effort to try to put less strain on the left shoulder that caused him to be on the injured list three times last season. Melvin can also look at his own team and see that his current outfielders have logged a combined minus-0.5 bWAR so far this season.

Tatis Jr. might be able to solve a lot of problems all over the field with his athleticism, but there’s an interesting quote from Tatis Jr. from October to remember when talking about where he will play in the field.

Look for Tatis Jr. to try to reclaim the shortstop position and keep out of the outfield as much as possible. It will likely be an interesting internal situation for Melvin, but the veteran manager will certainly do what’s best for the team while trying to keep dust-ups behind the scenes to a minimum.

Unless the shoulder becomes an issue again for Tatis Jr., don’t expect to see him in the outfield too much in 2022.

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