The San Diego Padres may have a winning record from their series so far. They have managed to do so without the services of their star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. After suffering an unfortunate injury amid the MLB lockout, Tatis Jr. underwent surgery in mid-March on his left wrist. With the timetable for his return set to be around three months, fans were glad to catch a glimpse of the shortstop in the ballpark as he undertook fielding drills across the diamond.

With the superstar’s return in a full-fledged game still a ways away, he was simulating picking up ground balls with his left hand and throwing them to first before the start of the Padres taking on the Reds. While the timeline for his return still seems to have his come back closer to the summer, Tatis Jr showed some great form practicing on the diamond. And while it will be some time before he makes his way to the cage with a bat in hand, his defensive practices have gathered some momentum.

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Fernando Tatis Jr. takes to the diamond

The gathered crowd at Petco Park would undoubtedly have been expecting some skillful displays when they first made it to the ballpark. But only a few of them expected to see Tatis Jr. in action. Warming up for nearly 30 minutes before the game, Tatis Jr. seemed happy as he walked off the field.

As he made his way from the clubhouse onto the diamond, Tatis Jr. could only muster some joy at being able to play again. Said Tatis Jr., “Any day on the field, is a good day.” Manager Bob Melvin seemed only too glad to have Tatis Jr. back in their fold. Said Melvin, “He’s doing a lot of stuff … but the last thing will be putting a bat in his hands.”

Tatis Jr. – making progress?

While unable to do much to start his recovery process, Tatis Jr. seems to be moving fast. A cast rendered him virtually unable to practice. A Padres staffer was picking the ball up for him initially. And while still sporting a brace and unable to wear a glove, Tatis Jr. believes that his recovery may be working ahead of schedule.

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However, the Padres have said that his return cannot be marked without having understood where his bat swing is; also how far along the recovery on that is progressing. Tatis Jr. meanwhile is hard at work doing some other sessions. These include cardio-based workouts to keep him in shape in the meantime, including some soccer routines with his teammates.

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But without an accurate recovery schedule just yet, how soon do you think Tatis Jr. could return? And are the Padres on the right track even without him? Or do you think they need that Tatis Jr. injection into their roster?