While historically known as the “Swinging Friars”, my new nomenclature I think fits a bit tighter. Tiger toite, if you like dating yourself with classic Mike Myers references. And while I think the viewing public has some understanding of what it means to be a San Diego sports fan (not a Mike Myers fan), I’m fascinated when fantasy baseball is able to put into focus exactly why the many dozens of us Friar fans suffer from habitual antacid and alcohol abuse. The latest example is nonother than Fernando Tatis Jr. and his “swinging” injury. (If the irony didn’t kill me, munching on 582 Tums certainly will!) Now obviously the injury itself has already been covered by the biggest and best voices out there and in here, but I’d like to continue the discussion, if not only to find some cathartic way out of this darkness (hello, my old friend), but to also try and see what actual ripple effects might be. Follow me after the jump for the usual, now with more existential despair!
So in what has been a roller coaster of emotions, we have gone from expecting the worse (right after the injurious swing) (injurious is a word, right?), to hoping for the best (no long term damage and no immediate surgery please please please) to getting the best news possible to feel the worst about (apparently swinging your shoulder off is considered “slight tearing” and will only take 10 days rehab). Like, I stepped on my toe once and it was sore for like two weeks. I’m not doctor (sorry mom!), but this… does not compute. Regardless, no matter how confused my feelings are, we must treat this as part of the analysis and at certain parts of this post, should assume at least a chance that this whole losing an already surgerized (okay, that’s definitely a made up word) shoulder as sacrifice to the baseball gods may not be as major as we think it is. lol.
(Please note, as a writer, it is my job to be uninformed with my opinions. Note that there is a cogent counter-argument to made that surgery should be a last resort in almost any scenario comparatively. At a very base and non-bias level, rehabbing first is good, I mean, why not?)
But just a cursory glance across the webs, both via news reports and anecdotal content, we have to assume that this is a pretty serious injury and one that will take time to heal, and sadly, might be still a ticking time bomb throughout Tatis’ career. And at the very very least, if rehab is enough (what a dream it would be though!) adjustments will have to made which will intrinsically affect potential production no matter what.
And then you look at the team dynamics. Losing Tatis is a huge blow, even if this Padres lineup is the most balanced it’s been in a very long time. Years, centuries even. But since I’m such an optimist, let’s go over where the upside goes. Now granted, these takes are probably based in whatever the conclusions are from Tatis’ rehab stint, but I think it’s safe to presume that there are three primary beneficiaries, and while I’ll let others pontificate on which one of the three gets the most love, I personally think there’s a lot to like with each of these guys.
The oldie but goldie, well, no one will mistake Profar for gold, more like copper to make the analogy work? Bronze? I don’t know metals man. Maybe it just doesn’t work because it’s bad analogy, but that would put blame on me and I just can’t have that on my record. But yeah, Profar has made a career about burgeoning potential turning into extreme mediocrity, but he seems closer and closer to getting enough playing time now to become a name worthy of your attention, if only modest attention. He’s already made appearances at first base and in the outfield so far, and has a chance to offer some measured production with average power, on-base ability and speed on the base paths.
A favorite of mine during the preseason, Trent Grisham has a chance to make a bit of noise the next few weeks. The nine-hole can be a hazardous place to try and produce, and while he’s already had some struggles which landed him in that position, I do believe Grisham is the de facto leadoff hitter from here on out when Tatis is not in the lineup. Grisham has his own injury issues that he’s almost back from, and while a roster juggling act could have made things awkward, the next name appears to also be in line as a beneficiary the same way Grisham is.
If there was one knock on Jake Cronenworth, it was the big question mark in terms of playing time. Well, Tatis going down for a bit of time, along with Grisham’s absence has created a scenario where we could start seeing everyday at-bats accumulate. With a spot most likely in the two-hole when Grisham returns, there is a lot to like about Cronenworth leveraging his defensive versatility while batting in the heart of the order.
And while it might be strange to spend a bit more time on Profar than Ha-Seong Kim, don’t take that as a negative. I’m a huge believer in his raw power and ability to get on base. The only thing that gives me pause is the fact that the Padres have been a bit shy about his usage and while the amount of at-bats projected most likely will go up, I’m not so sure that the Padres would consider Kim the first choice in the newly created vacuum.
All of these points go out the window pretty much if Tatis ends up with a stellar rehab, but let’s be real. I’m concerned as a Padres fan (WHEN WILL IT EVER END) and you should be concerned for my Padres too. And yeah, all you Tatis Jr. owners out there, yikes. This is a serious injury, and while we all hope for the best case, this may end up being another unfortunate mark in Padres history. Speaking of Padres history, has anyone seen my Tums and Makers Mark?
Jay is a longtime Razzball everything who consumes an egregious amount of Makers Mark as a vehicle to gain wisdom and augment his natural glow. Living in the D.C. area, he also likes spending time visiting the local parks and feeding lettuce to any turtles he encounters, including Mitch McConnell. You can follow him @jaywrong, or read his rarely (like never) updated blog Desultory Thoughts of a Longfellow.
