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GOOFING AROUND — Sports are all fun and games until somebody gets hurt.
But what about when a professional athlete plays a different sport while they're injured?
Such was the consternation among San Diego Padres fans Sunday, when star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. was caught on camera playing soccer with a couple of teammates before a game with the Atlanta Braves.
It was all smiles — until Tatis landed awkwardly on top of the ball, going down and narrowly avoided landing on his injured wrist (the one wearing the brace in the video below, it should be noted, while falling on his uninjured hand).
Fernando Tatis Jr. played some soccer at Petco Park before Sunday's game.
— Danny Vietti (@DannyVietti) April 18, 2022
(🎥: ESPN) pic.twitter.com/AwPRvzuEIb
Tatis was able to push off the ground with both hands, and even scored a "goal" against a makeshift net made from a backstop with a teammate acting as goalkeeper.
The 23-year-old standout from the Dominican Republic signed a 14-year, $340 million extension with the Padres last year, per ESPN, but opened the season on the 60-day injured list with a broken left wrist that he reportedly sustained while riding a motorcycle in his home country. Tatis had surgery before the start of the season, and is expected to miss at least three months before returning around June.
That probably made Sunday's sight during his "recovery" less-than-ideal for fans of baseball, and the Padres, in particular. On the one hand, it's great to see Tatis back to enjoying life and the game like he used to.
On the other hand (or wrist, in this case): What were you thinking?
"You know what, he's got a brace on, it's padded," Padres manager Bob Melvin said, per MLB.com. "Visually, it's maybe not the best look. I've talked to him a little bit about that. But he's trying to get a lot of conditioning in. He is protected as far as the hand goes. That's what I have on that."
What do you think: all fun and games, or an irresponsible move for an injured superstar?
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