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The San Diego Padres announced a decision on Fernando Tatis Jr.

On Sunday afternoon, the San Diego Padres will finish off their series against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park.

Most recently, the Padres lost the second game 9-4 as San Diego blew an early 3-1 lead in the seventh inning. 

Fernando Tatis Jr. went 2-for-5 with his first home run of the season in the loss.

San Diego Padres Announce Fernando Tatis Jr. Decision

Ahead of the series finale on Sunday, the San Diego Padres have announced their lineup.

Underdog MLB wrote: “Padres 5/31 F. Tatis Jr. RF G. Sheets DH M. Machado 3B X. Bogaerts SS J. Merrill CF T. France 1B N. Castellanos LF S. Song 2B F. Fermin C G. Canning SP”

For the first time since May 15 against the Seattle Mariners, Fernando Tatis Jr. is starting at right field. Tatis Jr. has appeared in that position since then, often making that switch late in games, but has been the team’s starting second baseman the past 13 games. Sung-Mun Song will get the start at second base, while Tatis reverts back to the position where he has won two platinum gloves.

On the season, Tatis Jr. is batting .271 with 57 hits, 18 RBIs, 21 runs scored, six doubles, one triple, one home run and 14 stolen bases in 56 games.

Regarding Tatis Jr. latest hot-streak, The San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee wrote:

“Yesterday was Tatis’ third consecutive game with multiple hits and his fifth time having multiple hits in his past six games.

He is 13-for-25 (.520) during a six-game hitting streak and is batting .380 with a .456 OBP during a 13-game on-base streak.

Tatis has chased just six of the 52 pitches (11.5%) he has seen outside the strike zone over the past six games and is chasing at a 21.3% rate over the past 13 games. He was chasing at a 30% rate before that.”

Tatis Jr.’s Home Run Drought

Perhaps more important than the loss on Saturday, was the All-Star Tatis Jr. ending his 55 game home run drought, which was the longest of his MLB career.

Regarding breaking his home run drought, but the Padres still losing, Tatis Jr. told the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee, “This game will find a way to still punish you.”

Padres shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who had his first extra base hit in 15 games as he also hit a home run, told reporters after the game about Tatis Jr. ending his drought: “That was nice. Him, his family, baseball people, everyone knows what the deal is with him. Everyone knows he has zero. So getting that pressure off his back is nice.”

After Wednesday’s sweep against the Phillies, Manny Machado spoke about the team’s star players struggling, he said, “Our team needs us, and we ‘re trying to get back on track. I think a lot of these guys in here who’ve been carrying the load earlier in the year, we ‘re starting to feel it as a group overall. So we’ve got to pick up the slack. I know Jackson, how he is, that he’s doing everything he can to get back on that path, and so am I. I know everyone here is doing what they need to do to get back on path. I know that our offense isn’t playing to our capabilities, but we’re confident that (if) we stick to the process things will start turning around here. And when they do, hopefully it stays.”

Xander Bogaerts, Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jackson Merrill have all hit a home run in this series.