Why Fernando Tatis Jr. is playing second base for Padres — and how it's even dumber than it seems

Why Fernando Tatis Jr. is playing second base for Padres — and how it's even dumber than it seems originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

When the San Diego Padres' lineup card came out on Saturday, everyone did a double take.

Does that say Fernando Tatis Jr. at... second base? Yes, yes it does.

The Padres' lineup looks like this:

1. Ramon Laureano LF
2. Fernando Tatis Jr. 2B
3. Jackson Merrill CF
4. Manny Machado 3B
5. Nick Castellanos RF
6. Gavin Sheets 1B
7. Miguel Andujar DH
8. Freddy Fermin C
9. Jake Cronenworth SS

It actually makes pretty much no sense.

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Why is Fernando Tatis playing second base?

Tatis is playing second base rather than right field, it appears, to get Nick Castellanos in the lineup.

Really, it gets both Castellanos (RF) and Miguel Andujar (DH) in the lineup, where if Tatis is in right field, only one of those guys could've played.

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Has Fernando Tatis ever played second base?

Tatis has played exactly one inning at second base in his MLB career.

That was back in 2023 for the former shortstop-turned-right fielder.

How dumb is this?

Terribly dumb.

Tatis is the best defensive right fielder in baseball, a two-time Platinum Glove winner.

Castellanos might be the worst defensive right fielder in the last decade of baseball.

Moving Tatis into the infield so Castellanos can play right, just to have that declining bat in the lineup, makes no sense.

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