“We want to make sure he checks all the boxes” - San Diego Padres manager plans to ease Fernando Tatis Jr. back in after long absence from MLB

If you wind the clock back to the 2021 MLB season, Fernando Tatis Jr. was one of the biggest names in baseball. Now, his team is looking at how to best re-integrate him after the 24-year old star missed the entirety of last season.

Fernando Tatis Jr. burst into the league in 2019 after signing as a 20-year-old free agent with the San Diego Padres. He came third in Rookie of the Year voting that season after posting a slashline of .317/.379/.590 with 22 home runs and 53 RBIs.

In 2021, the young Dominican reached new heights. Tatis Jr. pummeled 42 home runs for his team, the most in the National League. Although fans and pundits alike figured Tatis' would never be stopped, things came to a screeching halt almost as fast as they began.

"Fernando Tatis Jr. just became the fifth player to hit a home run out of Dodger Stadium" - Baseball

After scaphoid bone surgery left Tatis Jr. sidelined for the first half of the 2022 season, the MLB began looking into his alleged performance-enhancing drug use. On Aug. 12, 2022, the MLB handed him a 80-game suspension after he tested positive for an anabolic steroid. The suspension closed the books on his 2022 season and would carry over into the 2023 season.

Fernando Tatis Jr's suspension is due to expire on April 20, 2023, just as the Padres start a four-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. At a recent press conference, San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin was questioned about how he plans to get Tatis going again after more than a year out of action.

"After saying yesterday that Fernando Tatis Jr. will be eased back into action and not play initially, Bob Melvin was asked how he balances the fact that he's returning from two surgeries but also missed out on a lot of reps last season:" - @ 97.3 The Fan

Melvin spoke about how the team wants to make sure that Tatis Jr. is able to "acclimate" playing in the MLB again. Melvin ssai:

"We want to make sure he checks all the boxes, trying to slide feet-first, get him diving back into first."

Melvin was also asked about where he would play Tatis Jr., who plays as a shortstop and an outfielder. Melvin did not disclose details on his lineup plans, but stated that it would be "beneficial" to keep Tatis Jr. in the outfield to start the season. In conclusion, Melvin called Tatis Jr. "one of the great athletes in all of sports."

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s return makes the Padres one of baseball's most exciting teams

Even without Fernando Tatis Jr., the Padres were still able to forge their way to the NLCS in 2022. Although they lost to the Philadelphia Phillies, the Padres showed they were a force to be reckoned with. With Tatis Jr. back in the lineup, the Los Angeles Dodgers will need to watch their backs in the NL West for the first time in a decade.