EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. will begin his minor league rehab assignment with the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate.
The team made the official announcement on Tuesday afternoon, saying that Tatis Jr. would be leading off and playing in right field for the Chihuahuas as they begin a six-game series at Sacramento on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 7:45 p.m.
Tatis Jr. is currently serving an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs and can return to the majors on April 20 when the Padres play the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Tatis Jr. is allowed to participate in a 15-day minor league rehab assignment before he can return to the big league club.
The Chihuahuas will play six games in Sacramento. The series begins on Tuesday and will come to an end on Sunday.
After the six-game road series in Sacramento, the Chihuahuas will return to Southwest University Park in El Paso, Texas to play a six-game series against Albuquerque that begins on Apr. 11 (Tuesday) and ends on Apr. 16 (Sunday).
Per the San Diego Union-Tribune, it is expected that after the El Paso-Albuquerque series, Tatis Jr. will rejoin the San Diego Padres as they will begin a four-game series against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix, Arizona on Thursday, Apr. 20.
