Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. could miss 3 months after breaking wrist

All-star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres likely will need surgery for a broken left wrist and could miss up to three months, general manager A.J. Preller said on Monday.

Tatis apparently suffered the injury early in the off-season and felt it when he began preparing for spring training, Preller said.

Reports surfaced in December that Tatis suffered scrapes on his hand and knee in a motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic.

The injury is a blow to a team that was looking for a fresh start following a brutal late-season collapse that left them with yet another losing record.

Tatis, 23, had a series of injuries to his left shoulder last year, when he still led the National League with 42 home runs in 130 games and finished third in balloting for league MVP honours.

The electrifying Tatis batted .282 with 97 runs batted in and 25 stolen bases last year. His season also included two trips to the injured list with left shoulder issues and a trip to the COVID-19 injury list.

He signed a 14-year, $330-million US contract with the Padres during spring training last year.

Freddie Freeman's tenure with Atlanta appears to be over after the World Series champions acquired all-star first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics on Monday.

Oakland is getting a prize package of four players, including young outfielder Cristian Pache.

Freeman was the 2020 NL MVP and a five-time all-star over 12 seasons with Atlanta, including as a veteran leader on last year's championship team.

Manager Brian Snitker was speaking to reporters when ESPN broke the news. He said it was the first he was hearing of the trade

"He's been our guy for a number of years," Snitker said of Freeman. "Personally, he's meant a lot