SAN DIEGO — Star right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. was activated by the San Diego Padres on Monday after being sidelined for more than two months because of a stress reaction in his right femur.
Tatis was set to bat second in the opener of a three-game series against the Detroit Tigers. The Padres began the day in a virtual tie with Arizona for the National League's top wild card.
Tatis last played on June 21. He was placed on the injured list on June 24, retroactive to June 22.
He spent last week working out at the team's spring training complex in Arizona.
Tatis received a warm welcome in the clubhouse, including an emphatic hug from center fielder Jackson Merrill, considered by some to be a leading contender for NL Rookie of the Year.
“I'm in a really good spot right now,” Tatis said. “I feel like I can do anything on the baseball field.”
On the day he was placed on the injured list, Tatis said he had been dealing with the injury for virtually the entire season. It was first described as a quad injury, but the team discovered the stress reaction after performing an imaging test.
Tatis won the NL Gold Glove and Platinum Glove awards last year in his first season in right field.
He was an All-Star at shortstop in 2021 before missing the 2022 season due to injury and a PED suspension.
Tatis was batting .279 with 14 home runs and 36 RBIs when he was placed on the injured list.
Outfielder Bryce Johnson was optioned to Triple-A El Paso.
