Fernando Tatis Jr. has taken the league by storm with his bat flips and plays in the field. There is a time and a place for this. The San Diego Padres All-Star infielder suffered a broken wrist in the off-season and will need surgery. According to San Diego general manager A.J. Preller, the injury was suffered months ago but worsened when he was about to report. How did this happen? What does it mean for the mega deal signed by Tatis? Where do the Padres go from here? Everything you need to know about the aftermath of the injury is covered by the reporters. So... Did Fernando show up to spring training with a wrist injury? He definitely did. The X-rays taken as part of his entrance physical on Sunday revealed a fractured scaphoid bone in his left wrist. After the new collective bargaining agreement was signed, the Padres were given a heads up that the left wrist of outfielder Fernando Tatis had been bothering him for a couple of weeks. Doctors found out that the injury might have been a few months old and that he was just ramping up his training. The Padres didn't know he was dealing with this. Why? Because of the MLB-imposed lock out, teams couldn't communicate with their players. On reporting day, a situation like this is what every executive feared. It definitely could have been a different story if not for the Lockout. How did it happen? Yeah, about that. He fell off a motorcycle in the Dominican Republic. There were reports that he had only minor injuries. The Padres, who only had third-party information at the time, were under the same impression. It was like what happens when he slides too hard into second base when he said that for the next week or two his wrist felt jammed. It didn't feel like surgery would be required. The pain came back about a month ago. The pain only got worse as the workouts became more rigorous. Was the wrist injury related to the motorcycle accident? Preller stopped short of saying that it was the most probable outcome. The Padres believe that the fall could have been related to another motorcycle accident, but that it was not the case. This is a big deal for the Padres. The Padres are built to win. After they flamed out in epic fashion last season, there was a sense that if they didn't make the playoffs, that ownership might have to scale back on payroll. The Padres had a payroll of $174 million on opening day last year, blowing the previous record by $65 million, and are on track to have a payroll of $200 million by the end of the decade. His talent surpasses the sport, and his energy sets a noticeable tone. He will probably be out for at least the first three months of the season because of the surgery he will have before the end of the week. Last year, the Padres went from 15 games over.500 to three games below.500 in a span of three months, while Tatis was putting the finishing touches on an MVP-caliber season. The Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants are in the National League West. Do they have any recourse? Maybe. Standard major league contracts guarantee players their full salaries if they meet certain criteria, which include avoiding potentially dangerous activities, such as bungee jumping, snowmobiling, piloting and a long list of others. What about fencing? Yes, motorcycling, as well as harness racing? If he sustained a wrist injury while riding a motorcycle, can the Padres prove that he is in violation of his contract? Do they really want to go down that path? A new season is about to start. Get ready to dominate your league.
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A team that wants to address this will usually approach the player about the violation and suggest that they take some of his pay away. A source with direct knowledge of the process said that it is unlikely that the player, his agency and the MLB Players Association would agree.
Attempting to turn the rest of the deal into a non-guaranteed contract would clear the path for a release. The MLBPA would immediately file a complaint. It is highly unlikely that the team would win. Another mechanism is to place the player on the restricted list and then put the onus on the player to file a complaint.
How many times do teams act on them?
It is extremely rare. Even those in trouble with the law have not had their contracts voided. The players would fight any attempt. If the player violated the Uniform Players Contract, the team would have to say goodbye to the player. That is not likely to happen if he is a star. If he was on a one-year deal and got injured for a period of time, then a team might void the contract. It was the same thing that happened to the Yankees in 2004. New York cut him and his contract after he tore his knee playing basketball. He became a free agent after being terminated for $917, 553.
Some sports have restrictions. Jay Williams, a guard for the Chicago Bulls, suffered career-ending injuries when he crashed his motorcycle. Over $7 million was left on the table after the Bulls paid medical expenses. He would have received his full salary if he had been hurt on the basketball court.
Is the Padres going to?
They are not expected to. 1. They can not prove that his injury is a direct result of the motorcycle accident. 2. In a best-case scenario, the amount of money they would recover is very small. 3. This wouldn't hurt a relationship with their franchise player, a young man who is signed through the 2034 season. The Padres do not want to void the contract. At this moment, it doesn't appear as if they have any plans to impose a fine.
What will happen to Tatis after this?
The Padres hope that this experience has taught him how to navigate his off-season more carefully. The Padres have been assured that they will no longer be riding motorcycles. They hope he keeps his word.
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Padres owner Peter Seidler said he trusts and believes in Fernando. When his medicals are clear, he will be back. It is part of sports. The most important thing to me is that I believe in this young man, and I think once he is medically cleared, he will have another awesome year and career with us.
What are they going to do at the position?
A source close to the situation said that the Padres are committed to staying in-house at the position and that most likely means Ha-seong Kim. Kim was signed to a four-year, $28 million contract out of South Korea. He showed last year that he can be a plus defender in the big leagues, but he struggled on offense, batting.200/.270/.352 in 283 plate appearances. Scouts wonder if he will hit to replacement level in the big league because he struggled to adapt to major league velocity. The Padres desperately need him to be a corner outfielder or designated hitter. C.J. Abrams, their top prospect, is a 21-year-old with less than 350 professional plate appearances and is probably not ready to handle an everyday position in the major leagues. Jake Cronenworth could be moved to the other side of the ball, but that would open up a hole at second base, just as moving the other side of the ball would open up a hole at third base.
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