The Padres have officially activated Fernando Tatis Jr. from the injured list Friday, Fox Sports reports. This means Tatis will be in the starting lineup and playing shortstop when the Padres take on the Dodgers in what might be as big a series as you can have in April. Tatis had been placed on the IL due to suffering a slight labrum tear in his left shoulder while batting on April 5.
The bigger question here might be how long Tatis will stay in the lineup. It would seem that it’s only a matter of time until Tatis will need surgery to repair the tear. The Padres don’t believe there is any long-term risk for additional damage, but it’s still hard to see Tatis being available game in and game out for the remainder of this season.
Tatis is one of the best players not only on the Padres but in Major League Baseball. The Padres and Dodgers are expected to batter for supremacy in the National League all season long, but if Tatis were to miss significant time due to this injury, it’s hard to imagine that the Padres would be able to hang with the immensely talented and deep Dodger’s team. Currently, the Dodgers are 11-2 and in first place in the NL West. The Padres are 9-5, 2.5 games behind.
The Dodgers will be without Cody Bellinger tonight but are still favorites. They are +106 (-1.5) on the run line, -148 on the money line, and the game has an over/under of eight, over (-104), and the under (-118).
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