Fernando Tatis Jr.’s soccer stunt proves why Padres will never be relevant

It wasn’t too long ago the baseball world was taken by surprise after learning San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. would be missing a significant portion of the 2022 season due to a wrist injury he suffered in a motorcycle accident.

Tatis underwent surgery on his wrist barely a month ago and will be out for at least two more months. That’s what makes this next bit of news extremely hilarious for Los Angeles Dodgers fans.

This past weekend, Tatis was spotted playing soccer with some of his teammates at Petco Park before the team’s Sunday Night Baseball matchup against the Atlanta Braves. Any reason this is part of his rehab for something that’s going to force him to lose a full, productive season in his young career?

Was it the worst thing in the world? Not exactly. But the optics are really bad when Tatis eats dirt by falling to the turf after tripping over the ball.

https://twitter.com/CodifyBaseball/status/1515856103661219841?s=20&t=_dErFmO7OTs-CyAviYgypQ

Dodgers fans can’t help but laugh at Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Padres

Sure, let’s break our other wrist for good measure!

Anyway … let us get this straight. The Padres signed Tatis to a record-breaking 14-year, $340 million contract extension with just two years of service time under his belt, were then rumored to have explored ways to void the contract after the slugger’s motorcycle accident, and are now allowing him to recklessly play soccer four weeks after undergoing wrist surgery? Whoops, can’t forget about the blowup with Manny Machado in the dugout last year during the team’s unforgettable choke job in the second half!

Not to mention general manager AJ Preller’s constant tinkering with this roster, which featured three pre-Opening Day trades to get under the luxury tax threshold (and multiple failed attempts to get Eric Hosmer’s and Wil Myers’ contracts off the books).

The Padres are trying so hard to be relevant yet they can’t get their best player to avoid needless trouble or excessive errors on defense that help arm the haters with lowlights.

Let’s just put it this way: you wouldn’t have seen Mookie Betts galavanting in the outfield last year before games when he was dealing with hip and back injuries. You would’ve have been Clayton Kershaw doing anything 1/10 this controversial as he dealt with his elbow issue last year.

The Padres’ franchise cornerstone, though? Right on cue. Bringing the worst kind of exposure to his team, which proves San Diego will continue its uphill battle to relevancy as long as Tatis continues behaving in this manner.

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