Padres' Tatis Jr. ready to begin a rehab stint

Star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A San Antonio either today or Sunday, San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin said Friday.

Tatis took batting practice with the Padres at Dodger Stadium on Friday and then left for Texas. He has been sidelined since having surgery in mid-March on his fractured left wrist, reportedly suffered in an offseason motorcycle accident in his native Dominican Republic.

Although there's no timetable for his return, starting the rehab assignment is a big step for Tatis and the Padres.

“He didn't have a spring and hasn't played in the field yet, so we'll monitor as we go along,” Melvin said.

Tatis will play shortstop, center field and spend time as the designated hitter.

He was an All-Star in 2021 and finished third in voting for NL MVP. He batted .282 with an NL-leading 42 home runs and 97 RBIs.

The Colorado Rockies claimed Dinelson Lamet off waivers, capping a week in which the righthander was traded by one organization and designated for assignment by another.

Lamet was part of the package the Milwaukee Brewers received Monday in the trade that sent four-time All-Star closer Josh Hader to the Padres. The Brewers announced two days later that they had designated Lamet for assignment.

Lamet went 3-1 with a 2.09 ERA and finished fourth in the NL Cy Young Award voting during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, but he has struggled since while dealing with injuries. The 30-year-old Lamet had an 0-1 with a 9.49 ERA in 13 relief appearances this season.

The Brewers also received reliever Taylor Rogers, outfield prospect Esteury Rodriguez and pitching prospect Robert Gasser in the Hader trade.