The San Diego Padres look set to face the Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend, in one of the most anticipated series of the start of the season and that includes team star Fernando Tatis Jr.
The Parents closed out their seven-game tour with a convincing 8-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates, to go tables in the four-game series, after the Buccaneers won the intermediate duels.
More than victory, the best news the ninth frontier received is that Tatis took batting practice and according to manager Jayce Tingler, they hope to activate this Friday for the start of the series against the Dodgers, staunch rivals in the Western Division of the National League.
The Parador in Dominican short suffered a partial dislocation of the shoulder when making a swing on April 5. The illness seemed to mark the early end of the Tatis season, just weeks after signing a historic 14-year, $ 341 million contract, however, medical assessments showed the injury required no surgery, only rest and rehabilitation.
“We just have to check a couple of things with our medical team,” Tingler anticipated after the Pittsburgh duel. “We are optimistic that (Fernando) has a good chance of being ready to play tomorrow (Friday).”
For the Padres, the return of Tatis is great news, considering they have outstanding accounts with the Dodgers that go beyond the sweep that nailed them in the second round of last postseason.
The Dodgers have won the divisional pennant in eight consecutive seasons and in the last 10 seasons, they have won the annual series against the Parents.
“It will be a good test for us,” commented Eric Hosmer, the Parents ’first baseman. “It will be fun to start the first of many series against these guys (the Dodgers), but they have earned the right to be called the best team in baseball. They have earned the right to be at the top of the division.” .
San Diego has forged around Tatis, Manny Machado and a stellar body of pitchers a team that seems to have the ability to compete — the current Major League champions
In the 2020 season, the Parents tried, but had to settle for winning the Playoffs ticket as a wild card team.
Tatis, 22, was one of the main reasons San Diego reached the playoffs at the 277 average with the batting average with 17 home runs, 45 RBIs, 50 RBIs and 11 steals in 59 of 60 RBIs. the season shortened by the coronavirus pandemic.
His performance put Tatis in fourth place in the voting for the most valuable player in the National.
The Parents (9-5), amid a seven-game relentless streak, reach the weekend series against the Dodgers after winning five of the seven games on the tour and are in third place in the West of the National, behind the San Francisco Giants (8-4) and two games for the Dodgers (10-2).
Rookie left-hander Ryan Weather (1-0, 1.50), the fifth-best prospect in the Parents ’organization, will make his major league opener in Friday’s Dodgers duel and face right-hander Walker Buehler (1-0, 1.50).
“I hope (Weather) attacks, throws strikes and gives us a chance to win,” Tingler said. “There’s a reason we have a lot of confidence in him and we’re excited about him.”
On Saturday, the Dodgers send to the hill their ace Clayton Kershaw (2-1, 2.89) to face Japanese star Yu Darvish (1-0, 3.06).
For the closing of the series, Sunday Blake Snell (0-0, 4.35) will have his first opening since facing the Dodgers in the World Series, when he was part of the Tampa Bay Rays rotation, and will face Trevor Bauer. (2-0, 2.70).