Clearly no dropoff in Tatis Jr.'s new swing

LOS ANGELES -- Fernando Tatis Jr.'s two home runs on Friday night were as majestic as they were poetic. But take your eye off the ball for a moment.

Hone in on the swing.

No, it hasn't been overhauled. The mechanics are the same. The load is the same. The impact on the baseball is the same. The follow-through? Distinctly different.

When Tatis sustained a partially dislocated left shoulder in a game on April 5, he did so with his usual ferocious swing -- but he finished with an uncontrolled one-hand follow-through. That's never been Tatis’ typical method, but he'd gone to it on occasion when selling out.

After that swing, Tatis crumpled to the dirt in front of home plate in agony. He would miss 10 days while rehabbing his shoulder injury. Now Tatis is back. But that one-handed follow-through, notably, is not. The Padres have emphasized a controlled two-handed follow-through. If he does release the bat, on occasion, that’s OK, so long as he’s measured in doing so.

Those changes haven’t cost Tatis anything. He's still hitting the ball as hard as ever. In his last four games, Tatis has scorched seven baseballs at 100-plus mph. His average exit velocity is 104.8 mph.

“You just don’t see the ball jump off many guys’ bats the way it does his,” said Padres manager Jayce Tingler. “When he’s just short, direct, compact -- I don’t know if it’s strength, flexibility, wiry strong -- he’s got some kind of unique ability.

“I do think at times offensively, less is more for him.”

The simpler the better, indeed. Tatis’ two home runs on Friday night checked in at 113.4 and 115.9 mph off the bat -- the two hardest-hit home runs of his big league career. On both swings, Tatis path to the ball was destructive, but his follow-through was short.

If this is the "toning down" of Tatis we've been hearing about, well, it hardly feels like a "toning down" at all. When Tatis landed on the IL, questions persisted about the viability of his playing style. Did his max-effort approach lend itself toward injuries?

"No," the Padres said. Tatis simply needed to make some very minor adjustments, none of which would truly change the nature of the player.

Sure enough, on Thursday night, Tatis swiped second base, sliding feet-first when it became obvious a headfirst dive wouldn't be necessary. On Friday, Tatis' home run swings both featured that compact follow-through.

No, it's not the exact same thing. But if Tatis is still stealing bases and launching mammoth dingers, can anyone really say that he's fundamentally a different player?

Upon his return from the IL last week, Tatis summed it up best:

"Just [be] a little bit smarter," he said. "But then after that, I don't feel I'm changing anything."

Nola on the mend
Austin Nola received approximately a dozen at-bats in an intrasquad game at the team's alternate site on Friday, pounding out several hits, including a homer. Nola has missed the first few weeks of the season because of a fractured left middle finger -- and a recovery that has proven trickier than the Padres anticipated. But if Nola continues to progress, Tingler said “it’s realistic” the catcher could return for the Padres’ series in Arizona on Tuesday.

The Padres have sorely missed Nola's presence behind the plate, as their catchers have combined for a .156/.241/.221 slash line and -0.6 WAR -- the worst mark among catchers in baseball. Both Victor Caratini (a serviceable twice-a-week backup) and Luis Campusano (who would benefit greatly from further seasoning in the Minors) have been thrust into more prominent roles than the Padres envisioned.

Tingler lauds Machado
Manny Machado has been a force at third base this series, gobbling up every ball hit his way. On Friday night, he robbed Mookie Betts of extra bases with the tying runs aboard with a ridiculous all-out diving grab.

"Defensively, make your case," Tingler said. "I know I haven't seen anyone better. The way he catches the ball and his throwing ability is just off the charts."

Machado's defense has been sparkling this season. But lately, he's been contributing in every facet. In the Padres' five games against L.A. this season, Machado is hitting .400 with a pair of walks.

In that 12-inning thriller on April 16, he practically willed himself into scoring the tying run in the ninth inning -- working a walk, stealing second base, advancing to third on a dirt-ball read, then scoring on Eric Hosmer's single. Twice during that sequence, team trainers emerged to check on Machado -- his back spasmed on a swing, and his shoulder barked after his slide into second. He stayed in the game.

"I'll say this -- his leadership skills are off-the-charts," Tingler said. "And he's not only leading with the words coming out of his mouth, but more importantly, he's leading with his actions, and it's awesome to see."