Fernando Tatis Jr. announced this afternoon that he will undergo surgery on his left shoulder (relayed by Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune and Darnay Tripp of NBC 7 San Diego). The Padres star is already out for the rest of the 2022 season after MLB handed down an 80-game suspension this month after Tatis tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing drug Closetebol.
It’s a somewhat surprising development, as there was no previous indication that surgery was again under consideration. Tatis twice landed on the IL with shoulder issues last season, missing the minimal ten days in April and another couple of weeks in August. In both instances, he suffered the injury on basic baseball activities — his first occurring on a swing, his second sliding into a base. Both injuries initially seemed to have the potential for extended absences, but Tatis returned in relatively short order each time.
There was some speculation Tatis may need to go under the knife, but he declined to undergo surgery at the end of the season. His plans to play through the injury this year were twice dashed — first by an offseason fracture in his left wrist sustained in a motorcycle accident, then by the PED suspension. Tatis underwent wrist surgery this spring. Initially expected to return around June, his recovery nevertheless lingered into the later summer. He embarked on a minor league rehab assignment at the start of this month, but MLB announcing the stunning news of his failed PED test after just four minor league games.
More to come.
