Fernando Tatis Jr. tests positive for Covid-19, placed on IL [UPDATE]

The San Diego Padres announced on Tuesday afternoon that they placed both shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and utility player Jurickson Profar on the injured list due to health and safety protocol. The team also put outfielder Jorge Mateo on the injured list too and they will make corresponding moves before first pitch against the Colorado Rockies.

Update: Padres manager Jayce Tingler confirmed Tatis has tested positive for Covid-19 and is asymptomatic. Profar and Mateo are in contact tracing.

This is not the greatest news that you wanted to hear if you are a fan of baseball, let alone of the Padres. Tatis Jr. is one of the team’s best offensive players and was already on the IL earlier this season for a shoulder injury. This season, the 22-year-old infielder is hitting .240/.315/.552 with nine home runs and 14 RBI in 108 plate appearances.

With Tatis Jr. out for the time being, the Padres will likely start Ha-Seong Kim. Meanwhile, Profar is hitting .234/.333/.308 with a home run and 10 RBI in 128 plate appearances. He has not lived up to his potential as a top minor league prospect, but has been a reliable option for San Diego this season. Lastly, Mateo is a backup outfielder/utility player, who is hitting .250/.325/.417 with a home run and five RBI in 40 plate appearances.