San Diego welcomes Petaju, the fallen ‘home run king’… “I’m so glad you’re on my side” Impressed → ‘3 hits’ splendid comeback

Fernando Tatis Jr. (24, San Diego Padres), who could not be seen due to injury and discipline, finally returned home. Fans welcomed him with warm applause.

On the 2nd (Korean time), MLB.com, the official website of the Major League Baseball (MLB), said, “Tatis Jr. played at Petco Park for the first time since September 2021. Fans gave a standing ovation.”

On this day, Tatis was named in the starting lineup as the team’s first hitter and right fielder in the home game against the Cincinnati Reds held at Petco Park in San Diego, California. It was a home game in 1 year and 7 months after the game against Atlanta on September 27, 2021.

Tatis, who won the National League home run king with 42 home runs in 2021, missed the entire first half due to a wrist fracture ahead of the 2022 season. He was then suspended for 80 games after being caught using performance-enhancing drugs. Having digested all of his discipline, he returned to the big leagues on the 21st of last month against Arizona. As his first home game, San Francisco, and two consecutive games (April 30-May 1) were held in the Mexico City series, Tatis did not appear at Petco Park until his 10th game.

The away fans booed Tatis for using a banned substance. Here, according to the media, after the fact was revealed last year, the San Diego team publicly expressed their disappointment with Tatis. In response, he reportedly apologized to his teammates안전놀이터 and asked for help.

Had it worked, Tatis showed a close relationship with his teammates in the match. In particular, Kim Ha-seong (28) threw a come-from-behind three-run at the end of the 5th inning that broke the balance of 3-3, and then put on a sombrero (a hat with a brim) he brought from Mexico City. That’s how close you are to the players.

Fans also gave a warm welcome. At the beginning of the first inning, when Tatis ran to the ground to defend, the fans in the right outfield crowd cheered him. Then, when he entered the plate as the lead batter at the end of the first inning, he greeted the star player with a standing ovation.

Amidst the enthusiastic cheering, Tatis also showed outstanding performance. He survived with a hit in the first inning, and became the protagonist of the first run by stepping on the home base when Juan Soto’s 2nd RBI double in the 3rd. Then, he added hits in the second and eighth innings, especially in the eighth inning, when he made the bases full, laying the groundwork for Manny Machado’s two RBIs and timely hits.

On this day, Tatis went 3-for-5 and scored 1 run, making his first 3-hit game after his return. He also went on a 9-game hitting streak. The season batting average rose to 0.304 and OPS to 0.812. The team also had a good night, winning 8-3.

After the match, Tatis said, “It’s beyond words,” and said, “I’m so glad they’re on my side.” As he said, Tatis made a successful comeback amidst the warm welcome of the fans.