SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. had to postpone a scheduled shoulder surgery because he has strep throat, the latest wrinkle in what’s been a turbulent season for the San Diego Padres shortstop.
Tatis was slated to have the labrum in his left shoulder repaired on Tuesday, but that procedure now will be delayed a week or so while he recovers from the illness.
The delay is not expected to affect Tatis’ return next season after he’s done serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
He missed the first four months of the season with a broken left wrist, an injury that’s believed to have occurred in an offseason motorcycle crash. Tatis was nearing a return from that injury when Major League Baseball suspended him on Aug. 12. The penalty will sideline him for roughly one-third of the 2023 season.
Tatis suffered multiple dislocations in his left shoulder last season, and the Padres had been hoping he would opt for surgery to resolve the problem.
Recovery from the surgery is estimated at four to six months. His spring training could be delayed, but if all goes well, he should be full strength by the time his suspension ends.
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