When will Fernando Tatis Jr. be eligible to return for the San Diego Padres?

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All you need to know about when Fernando Tatis Jr. will play his first game of the upcoming season for the San Diego Padres.

Fernando Tatis Jr.
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

A side effect of the Padres’ successful run in the postseason is that they will have their great shortstop available for an additional 12 games in the year 2023. The Padres now have a potential date for Fernando Tatis Jr.’s return to the lineup after it was determined that each playoff game played by the Padres would count as one game served toward his sentence.

According to the way that the schedule is now laid out, Fernando Tatis Jr. would be able to make his comeback on April 20, which would be the first game of a four-game series in Arizona (though that date is subject to change with any rainouts or other postponements).

After a positive test for a prohibited drug in August, Tatis was given a suspension for a total of 80 games. After spending the first four months of the 2022 season recovering from a fracture to his left wrist, Tatis was guaranteed to miss the entirety of the season due to the suspension he received.

Even without Tatis in the lineup, the Padres were able to make it all the way to the National League Championship Series, where they were ultimately eliminated by Philadelphia in five games. Tatis had a second operation performed on his left wrist while the Padres were competing in the playoffs. The purpose of this procedure was to reinforce his wrist for a long time into the future.

The San Diego Padres have strengthened their roster by acquiring former Boston Red Sox player Xander Bogaerts, and they intend to make a serious run at the World Series this season. When Tatis is well again, this squad is going to be unbeatable.

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