DENVER — The Padres will be without shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. and utility players Jurickson Profar and Jorge Mateo on Tuesday as they begin a series against the Rockies.
Tatis tested positive for COVID-19, and the other two players were placed on the IL due to contact tracing.
Padres manager Jayce Tingler said Tatis is asymptomatic.
“Naturally, you’re punched in the stomach,” Tingler said. “It was good to see him over FaceTime. He’s feeling well. He’s crushed inside. … The good thing is he’s not showing any symptoms. But mentally he’s crushed, he wants to be here with the guys. He wants to play and be part of it.”
Tingler said he was informed of Tatis’ test late Monday night. Tests are administered every other day and it generally takes 24 to 36 hours for the results to be known.
Tingler said Tatis “didn’t break any rules.”
The MLB health and safety protocols say players must isolate for a minimum of 10 days following a positive COVID-19 test. But a league source said if a player has been vaccinated, he can return sooner than 10 days if he tests negative twice.
It is not known if Tatis, Profar and Mateo are among what sources have said is a majority of Padres players who have been vaccinated.
This is the Padres’ second time this season placing players on the IL in accordance with the health and safety protocols.
Starting pitcher Chris Paddack, who a source said was vaccinated, spent 11 days on the IL after testing positive for COVID-19 while the team was in Arizona from April 26-28. Wil Myers was also scratched from the lineup before their April 28 game due to contact tracing but was cleared to play in the middle of the game.
“Dealing with what we’ve dealt with the last year, I don’t feel confident in anything,” Tingler said when asked if he was confident no more players or staff would be affected by Tatis’ positive test. “Surprises (happen). Certainly, after going through (what they did) in Arizona, that was a whirlwind of things happening really quick. … That’s how COVID seems to work. It can pop up any time, any place anywhere.”
Ha-seong Kim is starting at shortstop on Tuesday.
The Padres recalled infielder Tucupita Marcano and right-handed reliever Nabil Crismatt from Triple-A and selected the contract of outfielder John Andreoli to fill out their active roster. Crismatt was with the team on the taxi squad. Marcano and Andreoli were in Tacoma, Wash., with Triple-A El Paso.
