The third question: Where will Fernando Tatis Jr. slot into the batting order and what impact could he have?
Last season, Tatis Jr. batted in the leadoff spot (24 games), second (64 games), and fourth (33 times) as his primary spots in the batting order. This season, San Diego’s combination of leadoff hitters is slashing just .183/.271/.272 through the team’s first 42 games. However, the cleanup spot has been even worse, posting a slash line of .175/.260/.244.
Those are the two most unproductive slots in the San Diego order, so Tatis Jr. could easily bring a boost to either position. Don’t be surprised if Tatis Jr. slots higher in the order once he returns in order to not only as many at-bats as possible to get back up to speed, but also to inject some life into the San Diego offense.
Once Tatis Jr. settles into the lineup, don’t be surprised to see him slide back in the middle of the order. He’ll join Machado (who has batted second in 13 games and third in 27 contests) and Hosmer (who has batted fourth in 13 games and fifth in 15 games) as the core of Padres lineup.
Who will Tatis Jr. replace? Likely Ha-Seong Kim at shortstop, who has batted in six different positions in the San Diego batting order, including second.
With that in mind, what about a lineup with Jake Cronenworth leading off, Tatis Jr. batting second, Machado batting third, and Hosmer in the cleanup spot? It’s one that makes sense, but would also keep San Diego’s batting order very top-heavy in terms of early-season production.
Padres manager Bob Melvin will have plenty of options thanks to the athleticism of Fernando Tatis Jr. While there will certainly be questions about his position and readiness when he returns, he will likely provide a jolt to a Padres team that is already chugging along without him.