It's a bad night to be a star in Major League Baseball, apparently. First, Boston Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas had to be stretchered off the field at Fenway Park with what appeared to be a serious knee injury while running to first base. Then, Cleveland Guardians All-Star Jose Ramirez sprained his ankle on a very similar play.
San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. wasn't running the bases on Friday night, but that's only because he didn't get the chance: Tatis Jr. was forced to leave the game after getting drilled on the left arm by a Mitch Keller fastball.
The good news is that X-rays came back negative, and it appears Tatis Jr. made it out of that encounter with only ("only") a contusion. Well, a contusion and one heck of a welt on his arm.
That is massive, and a reminder of just how wild it is that big-league hitters routinely step into the box against giant men hurling a very hard ball at them at very high speeds from just 60 feet away.
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Fernando Tatis Jr. leaves Paders game vs. Pirates with gnarly welt on his arm
Of course, while we all gawk at the softball growing on Tatis Jr.'s arm, this is no laughing matter for Padres fans. FTJ has been arguably the best player in the National League so far this season, entering play on Friday with eight homers, seven steals and a 181 OPS+. He's looked like every bit the five-tool stud we always knew he could be, and he's a big reason why San Diego has gotten off to a 19-11 start to this season.
Unfortunately, while Tatis Jr. has always been a prodigious talent, he's had a hard time keeping that talent on the field. There was the PED suspension that cost him much of the 2022 season, but he's also battled shoulder trouble throughout his career so far. When he's right, he's among the most dynamic players in the sport, and the engine of a dangerous Padres team. San Diego just needs to keep him that way until October, and it would help if opposing pitchers would find the strike zone a little more often.