"It got us by surprise"- Fernando Tatis Jr. opens up about his fractured left wrist

San Diego Padres phenom Fernando Tatis Jr. is expected to need surgery on his fractured left wrist and will miss three months in a best-case scenario. Tatis Jr. set the entire MLB on fire last season with a National League-leading 42 home runs and his first All Star appearance. At the age of 23, Tatis Jr. has the potential to become one of the faces of the sport, but this injury will cut into his fourth season in the MLB.

It is currently unclear how exactly this injury occurred, but the initial theory is that it was fractured in a motorcycle accident in December 2021. While Tatis Jr. believed that he only suffered minor injuries, the pain worsened while ramping up training for the incoming regular season. After consulting with the Padres team doctor, it was determined the fracture was a few months old and would require surgery to repair.

Kevin Acee, beat writer for the San Diego Padres, expressed confidence in Tatis Jr.'s healing ability and the potential for a quick return.

"Fernando Tatis Jr. has a fractured wrist. Surgery probable. Could miss a few months, but he’s been a quick healer." - @ Kevin Acee

The Delayed diagnosis of Fernando Tatis Jr.'s broken wrist could have season-altering implications

This late discovery of the fracture is one of the unfortunate side effects of the MLB lockout, as Tatis Jr. was unable to see team physicians and learn the full extent of his injury until now. Had they caught it at the time of the accident, Tatis Jr. could be deep into the rehab process, if not fully recovered in time for the April 7 Opening Day.

Jon Heyman explains the situation as an insider for the MLB Network via a tweet.

Fernando Tatis described his early December motorcycle accident as “minor scrapes,” but folks close to the situation wonder whether he suffered the wrist fracture then. When he felt pain hitting in a scrimmage a month ago doctors suggested the wrist injury did not look new.-@JonHeyman

While the injury to Fernando Tatis Jr. is a big loss to the San Diego Padres, and the MLB as a whole, the Padres are still positioned to win games with their other stars, Manny Machado and Jake Cronenworth.

Manny Machado will need to step up for the San Diego Padres

Losing out on an exciting home run race between Fernando Tatis Jr., Shohei Ohtani, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is a big miss for the fans and is definitely something the MLB was planning to use to grow the game. We are all worse off for not getting to watch one of the most electric hitters in the league to start the season.