NL West: Tatis Jr. nearing a return

San Diego Padres

Fernando Tatis Jr. has been out since mid-June with a right femoral stress reaction, but recently declared that he’s “definitely playing baseball next month.” He has progressed to playing long toss, running at 70% in the outfield, and took batting practice with the team for the first time on Friday, August 23. If his progress continues, it looks like he could return to the Padres lineup in mid-September.

The impact on the Padres lineup will likely largely depend on where the Padres are in the playoff chase when he returns. The Padres currently sit three games behind the Dodgers in the NL West and are tied with the Diamondbacks for the top wild card spot in the National League. They are three games ahead of the...

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