San Diego Padres starting second baseman Ha-seong Kim is eagerly awaiting the return of Fernando Tatis Jr., the ‘440 billion man’.
Tatis Jr., of the San Diego Minor League Triple A El Paso Chihuahuas, was selected as the first right fielder in an away game against the 2023 Minor League Sacramento River Cats (San Francisco) held at Sutter Health Park in Sacramento, California, USA on the 10th (hereinafter Korean time) He led the team to an 8-2 victory with 4 at-bats, 1 hit, 2 walks and 1 run.
Tatis Jr. took a walk from the first at-bat in the first inning, and was responsible for the team’s first run when Tim Lopez hit a two-run, go-ahead double. Then, in the second inning with a 3-0 lead, he came back to the lead and got a walk, and in the third inning, leading 6-0, with no runners out, he hit a double to the left and completed the third base.
Tatis Jr. finished the game with a double hit in the 5th inning and a floating ball to center field in the 7th and 9th innings. His minor league batting average rose from 2/2/2 to 2/3/1.
Tatis Jr. was suspended for 80 games by the MLB on August 13 last year. He tested positive for clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance, and violated the Major League Collaborative Preventive Drug Treatment Program. Since June, Tatis has been taking clostebol-containing medicine for ringworm for about two months without a doctor’s confirmation.
Prior to this, Tatis Jr. was on the injured list after fracturing his left wrist in a motorcycle accident in March. Afterwards, he recovered his condition and aimed to return at the end of August, but he was caught taking a banned drug and his return to the ground in the 2022 season was unsuccessful. According to the punishment, Tatis Jr. can go on the ground from the game against Arizona on the 21st.
At the same time, San Diego won 10-2 in the Atlanta expedition, thanks to the performances of Nelson Cruz and Kim Ha-seong, and ended the 4-game match with Atlanta happily with 3 wins and 1 loss.
MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, said after the game, “This is the Padres in 2023. “Speaking of superstars, Tatis Jr.스포츠토토 also hit a double and got two walks in a minor league triple-A game. He’ll be back in 11 days,” he said, referring to Tatis Jr.’s return.
At the same time, I asked Kim Ha-seong, who played an active role with 2 hits in 4 at-bats (1 home run), 3 RBIs and 1 walk, about Tatis Jr.’s return. Through an interpreter, Kim Ha-seong said, “If Tatis Jr. returns, we will be much stronger than we are now. We will be able to have a more fun game again,” he expressed his excitement.