San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. is unlikely to play in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, as announced by manager Mike Shildt on Friday.
Tatis has been on the 10-day injured list since June 22 due to a stress reaction in his right thigh bone. Shildt indicated that this injury might keep Tatis sidelined through the All-Star break, rendering him unavailable for the Midsummer Classic.
The Padres had two outfielders, Tatis and Jurickson Profar, voted into the National League’s starting lineup this week. Both players are having stellar seasons but reached stardom through different paths.
Tatis debuted in MLB in 2019 as one of baseball’s most anticipated prospects, finishing third in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He placed fourth and third in NL MVP voting in 2020 and 2021, respectively, and made the All-Star Game in 2021 before missing all of 2022 due to injury and a PED suspension.
Although Tatis did not make the All-Star Game in 2023, he won a Gold Glove and placed 14th in NL MVP voting. This year, he has reasserted himself as a superstar, batting .279 with 14 home runs, 36 RBI, eight stolen bases, an .821 OPS, and a 2.0 WAR through 80 games.
Profar, making his first All-Star appearance in his 11-season MLB career, was once a highly-touted prospect with the Texas Rangers but had a journeyman career before breaking out this season. With Tatis’ injury, Profar will be the Padres’ sole representative in the National League’s starting outfield.
Tatis’ replacement could be announced as soon as Sunday when the full All-Star rosters are released. The Los Angeles Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández and the Philadelphia Phillies’ Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos were the other finalists who missed out to Tatis, Profar, and the Milwaukee Brewers’ Christian Yelich.
