PEORIA, Ariz. -- Friday night was a long time coming for Fernando Tatis Jr..
The Padres' 26-year-old superstar made his Spring Training debut against the Mariners, batting second while playing right field in the first game action he has seen since Oct. 11, 2024, when the Padres were eliminated by the Dodgers in Game 5 of the Division Series.
Tatis would have almost assuredly appeared in a game earlier this spring, had he not been away battling the flu, an event that took down multiple Padres before the club finally got fully healthy.
San Diego held him out and away from the team out of an abundance of caution, and the slugger came back at 100 percent -- and in no rush.
"It’s the flu. I had a sore throat, and I couldn’t get my cardio those days,” Tatis said following San Diego’s 2-1 loss to the Mariners. “I feel like we were smart about it, and I feel good with where I’m at right now.”
The two-time All-Star was 0-for-2 in his Spring Training debut, flying out to straightaway center field in his first at-bat before grounding into a double play his second time up.
More importantly, though, Tatis is back in action and getting warm for the 2025 MLB campaign, just one season removed from slashing .276/.340/.492 with 21 home runs, 49 RBIs and 11 stolen bases in 102 games. He was especially impressive in the 2024 postseason, hitting .423 with four home runs and seven RBIs in seven games.
"The playoffs were definitely something special, but now we’ve gotten over the hump,” Tatis said. “Here we are for the new year, and I’m excited for what’s going to come.”
It may take a little time for Tatis to settle back following an extended layoff, but he wasn’t at all concerned after his two at-bats on Friday.
"It felt great, and the barrel is definitely alive,” Tatis said. “They were good at bats. I’m happy where I’m at right now.”
The Padres’ lineup on Friday was one of its strongest of the Spring so far, featuring Tatis, Luis Arraez, Xander Bogaerts and Jason Heyward, among others. The roster will continue to evolve as the inevitable spring cuts begin, but Tatis said the mainstays make this season exciting to approach from the very beginning.
"We definitely feel amazing,” Tatis said. “We have a great group of guys in there, and they’re ready to ball."
A minor tweak for prospect Nett
Braden Nett continues to climb the ranks in the Padres’ organization, and he’s making adjustments along the way.
The 22-year-old righty, San Diego's No. 20 prospect per MLB Pipeline, got another look on Friday, starting against the Mariners and allowing one run on three hits with three strikeouts over two innings. Nett threw 37 pitches, 25 for strikes, and mixed in all of his pitching arsenal while doing it.
"I know if I can hit them with the fastball, other stuff just plays,” Nett said. “Just working on getting ahead.”
Nett posted a 5-2 record with a 3.88 ERA while striking out 73 batters in the Minor Leagues last season, pitching a total of 108.1 innings between the Fort Wayne TinCaps (High-A) and San Antonio Missions (Double-A).
He said following Friday’s game that he has been working with staff on removing an ever-so-slight head move during his delivery, calling it a “focus point” that will further improve his mechanics.
"A lot of being conscious of what I’m doing to break that habit,” Nett said. “It seems like it’s been working.”
But why the change?
"Not going to lie, I don’t know,” Nett said with a smile. “They just told me, so I’m just following directions.”