Fernando Tatis Jr. Drops Critical Injury Update as Padres Chase Dodgers for Divisional Title

The Padres are locked in a battle with the Dodgers for the NL West crown. But their weekend series against the Twins didn’t do them any favors. San Diego dropped two of three, losing some ground in the race. However, the bigger storyline wasn’t just the results; it was about Fernando Tatis Jr.. For the past month, Tatis has been getting on base and doing his job as the leadoff man, but he hasn’t looked like the power-hitting star fans are used to. In fact, he went a career-long 128 plate appearances without a homer.

Yes, that finally changed Monday night when he launched a 416-foot shot just right of center. The good news? The power drought is over. The bad news? It came with a scare, as Tatis tweaked something in the process. An update on his condition has since arrived to ease some of the concerns among fans.

“Fernando Tatis Jr. acknowledged he has a little tightness, nothing crazy, after grabbing at his right hamstring on a play in the 7th inning. He was walking fine and said he will play Monday,” Padres insider Kevin Acee provided the update.

Well, Tatis left the game with the Twins already up 7-0 in the seventh inning, which sent a wave of worry through Padres fans. But after the game, he quickly eased those fears, saying he’s fine and expects to be back in the lineup on Monday (September 1, 2025) when the Padres host the Orioles. There were also rumors that he might have tweaked something while chasing down a fly ball.

However, Tatis explained it was just a bit of tightness, nothing serious. He also made it clear he won’t be sidelined and doesn’t expect to miss any playing time. Well, that’s certainly good news because a lot of the team’s postseason success depends on him.

The Padres’ Postseason Hopes Depend Largely on Tatis

The Padres head into the final month of the regular season with everything still to play for. They trail the Dodgers by just two games in the NL West. And while overtaking their rivals won’t be easy, the reward would be huge. The No. 2 seed in the NL comes with a first-round bye, giving the team some much-needed rest and lining them up for a deeper postseason push.

Now, about the wild season scene, currently, Milwaukee sits comfortably in first at 85-53, while Los Angeles is 78-59, and San Diego is 76-61. At the moment, the Padres are holding down the No. 2 Wild Card position. Thus, sandwiched between the Cubs (78-59) and the Mets (73-64).

Hence, for the Padres to close the gap, the lineup has to deliver. And that starts with its big bats. Manny Machado has been the steady force all year, pacing the club with 21 home runs and 79 RBIs. Gavin Sheets and Fernando Tatis Jr. aren’t far behind with 18 HRs apiece, and both will be leaned on heavily in September.

Tatis in particular is viewed as a game-changer, the kind of player who can swing momentum in a single at-bat or make a difference with his glove in the field. That’s why the sight of him leaving the game against Minnesota sent a jolt through the clubhouse and fan base alike. Losing Tatis at this stage could have completely shifted the Padres’ playoff hopes.