SAN DIEGO -- Fernando Tatis Jr. acknowledged conflicting emotions at being named an All-Star for the second time in his career. On one hand, the accomplishment speaks for itself. On the other, Tatis will not be in Texas next week, while he rehabs the stress reaction in his right femur in San Diego.

¡°We're taking it slow,¡± said Tatis, who spoke publicly Friday for the first time since he was named an All-Star -- and the first time since the day he landed on the IL in June. ¡°But probably, it's not going to be as long as we all thought.¡±

The rest, Tatis left purposely vague. As long as we all thought? The Padres never offered a timetable, so how long, exactly, would that be? Tatis wouldn¡¯t divulge. But he did acknowledge a fear, at the time of diagnosis, that the injury might end his season. That¡¯s no longer a concern, he says.

Ideally, of course, Tatis¡¯ recovery will go something like the recovery of his teammate. On May 20, Xander Bogaerts fractured a bone in his left shoulder while diving for a ground ball. The Padres eyed a two- to three-month recovery period and a second-half return for Bogaerts.

Instead, Bogaerts returned to the lineup Friday night in the Padres¡¯ 6-1 loss to the Braves at Petco Park. He went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles.

¡°Feels good,¡± Bogaerts said. ¡°Feel normal.¡±

In a season riddled with injuries, the Padres haven¡¯t exactly flourished. But they haven¡¯t sunk either. Friday¡¯s loss was their fifth straight, but they remain squarely in the National League Wild Card picture, all of their goals still attainable.

Some good health would go a long way, of course, and Bogaerts¡¯ return helps. But the Padres are still missing Tatis and Joe Musgrove on the injured list. Yu Darvish hadn¡¯t pitched since late May due to multiple injuries when he was placed on the restricted list last week to tend to a personal family matter, according to the team. No details have been offered regarding his return.

Ultimately, the Padres¡¯ success might hinge on the availability of those key players. Through three months, Tatis was All-Star-caliber, hitting .279 with an .821 OPS. He was also clearly limited by his injury, particularly on the basepaths and in right field.

¡°Obviously, everybody saw how I was looking, the last couple games that I was out there in the field,¡± Tatis said. ¡°[I¡¯m] happy how it turned out to be an All-Star. At the end of the day, it's very sad to not be able to go and show my face to all the fans that voted.¡±

Rest and recovery is too important though -- and Tatis acknowledged that¡¯s all he¡¯s really doing right now. He¡¯s taken some dry swings, but for the most part, he¡¯s just letting his leg heal. It appears to be doing so.

¡°[It feels] way better,¡± Tatis said. ¡°Waking up and getting out of bed was a pain all the way from my right toe to my hip. That's gone. So it's definitely moving forward.¡±

Tatis hadn¡¯t previously gone into such detail about the specifics of his injury, but it¡¯s clear the decision for a lengthy IL stint was the right one. Still, the Padres could use his bat. They own one of the sport¡¯s top offenses. But lately, they¡¯ve struggled, scoring five times in their last four games.

Enter Bogaerts. He struggled early in the season, posting a .219 average and a .581 OPS. But in the week before his injury, he¡¯d begun to heat up. On Friday, he appeared to pick up where he left off, lacing a pair of singles up the middle.

¡°That was really good to see,¡± said Padres manager Mike Shildt. ¡°I saw really good at-bats, and he was moving good. ¡­ Man, it was good to have him back.

Then again, Bogaerts was the only San Diego hitter with multiple knocks on Friday. After the Braves grabbed a lead with their four-run fifth off Matt Waldron, the Padres mustered only two singles. A week ago, they were 49-43. Now, after losing five straight, they¡¯re suddenly in jeopardy of hitting the All-Star break below .500.

¡°We¡¯ve got to play better,¡± Bogaerts said. ¡°We still have two more games, and we have to finish strong. That¡¯s all we know. Every game matters, and obviously we have two more against these guys. Try to flush this one the moment we get [out] that door tonight, and be ready for tomorrow.¡±