Tatis homers like he never has -- off Greene's 99.4 mph heat

PEORIA, Ariz. -- About four days ago, Fernando Tatis Jr. said he began feeling like himself again. Not just healthy -- after he missed nearly a week of camp in late February while dealing with a nasty bout of the flu. But full strength and capable of his usual theatrics.

You know, like turning around a 99.4 mph fastball from Reds ace Hunter Greene and demolishing it to the camera well halfway up the center-field batter’s eye.

“Feels amazing -- especially getting that stutter-step out of the way,” Tatis said of his signature home-run trot in the Padres' 9-3 defeat. “I’m just feeling good all the way around.”

Indeed, Tatis’ first homer of the spring was a hugely impressive one. He’s never homered against a harder pitch in the regular season or postseason. Only once before had he homered on a pitch harder than 98 mph -- last September against Houston’s Kaleb Ort.

Greene’s fastball caught too much plate, and Tatis launched it to center -- 109.6 mph off the bat. Cue the ensuing home-run trot and stutter-step.

“I feel really good where I’m at,” Tatis said. “I feel good at the plate. … Just keeping that barrel alive. Just playing the game.”

All things considered, Tatis’ early absence barely registers as a blip. It’s mid-March, and he’s back to his usual self, hitting .273 with a .930 OPS in the Cactus League.

Most importantly, Tatis says he’s fully recovered from the stress reaction in his right leg that forced him to miss two months last summer. Despite playing through that injury in the early part of the season, Tatis was named to the All-Star team and he finished the year with a slash line of .276/.340/.492 and 21 home runs.

Tatis struck out in his first at-bat Monday, when Greene dotted a 100 mph heater on the outside corner. But he exacted some revenge three innings later. The two stars exited the field together down the right-field line after the fifth inning and shared a brief exchange.

“I just patted him on the butt," Greene said. "He got me; I got him. Just good, competitive fun.”

Sheets goes deep
Gavin Sheets continued to bolster his case for a spot on the Padres’ Opening Day roster -- and perhaps even the starting DH spot -- with his third home run in as many days. He worked a 3-1 count against Reds right-hander Tony Santillan and then turned on an inside fastball, sending it into the right-field bullpen.

Sheets’ three home runs lead the team this spring. He’s vying for one of three non-catcher bench spots, and considering the Padres’ overall lack of left-handed power, Sheets might have a leg up in that competition. There’s even a vacancy at DH -- though manager Mike Shildt has said he plans to rotate in that spot.

A non-roster invitee, Sheets mostly struggled over the past two seasons with the White Sox, batting just .220 with a .635 OPS. But he clearly has power, having reached double figures in home runs in all four of his big league seasons.

“Strong kid, man,” Shildt said. “He’s taking good swings. Just putting a good swing, and the power’s coming from there.”

King’s command
Michael King had yet to treat any of his spring outings -- whether on the Peoria Sports Complex back fields or during his first Cactus League start last week -- like a true start. Each time he took the mound, he set out with a specific point of emphasis -- a focus that was separate from his regular-season job of trying to win a baseball game.

King wanted to change that on Monday. So he scouted the Reds’ hitters pregame, and he pitched with a game plan. Yet he was hit hard for three runs over 2 2/3 innings, allowing three hits and three walks.

“Fastball command’s been bad,” King said. “It was bad in the last outing, too. … So it was a battle. I feel like my offspeed pitches were there today, so I’ll take that as a positive. But I’ve got to get the fastball command.”

King, who uses his sinker and four-seam fastball about evenly (both at around 25%), said he struggled to harness both. He’ll have two more Cactus League starts to iron that out.

“That’s my bread and butter,” King said. “I’ve got to get that [right].”