PEORIA, Ariz. -- 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 Monday.
Tatis apparently suffered the injury early in the offseason and felt it when he began preparing for spring training, Preller said.
"I didn't feel that much at the time," Tatis said Monday. "It felt like when you jam your wrist when you slide into second base. I was swinging my axe in my ranch. I was feeling good and I feel like it caught us by surprise."
Reports surfaced in December that Tatis suffered hand and knee scrapes in a motorcycle accident in the 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.
"It's bad. It's terrible," Tatis said. "I feel like everyone is disappointed, especially me. We have a pretty good chance as a team. I want to be out there for my teammates and the fans."
The Padres aren't likely to recoup any salary -- or void Tatis' contract -- from games missed due to the injury, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN's Jesse Rogers.
Standard player contracts include clauses preventing players from participating in sports or activities that could impair their ability to work. But since the Padres can't be sure the motorcycle accident was a direct cause of the fracture -- and because Tatis is likely to miss months and not a full season or longer -- San Diego likely won't pursue any aggressive tactics regarding his contract.
The Padres are hopeful it's a lesson learned, though.
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 NL MVP.
The electrifying Tatis batted .282 with 97 RBIs 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 $330 million, 14-year contract with the Padres during spring training last year.
With Tatis sidelined, the Padres could turn to Jake Cronenworth and Ha-Seong Kim to fill in for him at shortstop.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.