News
Padres' top Draft pick to have surgery
Tate to be ready for spring after pubic bone operation
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
09/30/09 8:58 PM ET
SAN DIEGO -- Outfielder Donavan Tate, the Padres' first-round choice in June's First-Year Player Draft, will have surgery next week in Los Angeles to repair a pubic bone stress reaction that has troubled him for the past month and a half.Grady Fuson, the Padres' vice president of player development and scouting, said before Wednesday's game against the Dodgers that Tate will be cleared to resume workouts six weeks after surgery.
According to Fuson, Tate will be in the clear for the start of Spring Training in February.
Tate, who agreed to a club-record $6.25 million signing bonus, had some abdominal pain during his high school season in Georgia, according to Fuson, though it was nothing like the pain he experienced last month.
"We've got no idea [how it happened] ... we've run through every cause," Fuson said. "He's admitted he had a feeling of it during the high school season. But he didn't miss any time."
Fuson said Tate, who agreed to terms with the team on Aug. 17, complained of pain after a batting practice session in Arizona and during outfield drills shortly after he signed and reported to the Friars' Spring Training facility.
The team first called Tate's injury an abdominal strain and put him on anti-inflammatory medicine. The hope was that medicine would take care of the pain and he would be able to resume workouts in Arizona and participate in instructional league in October.
When the pain didn't subside, Tate had more tests which revealed, according to Fuson, "a small area that's detached from the [pubic] bone."
At Cartersville High School in Georgia, Tate hit .525 with 10 home runs with a 1.000 slugging percentage and .788 on-base percentage in 2009. He hit 32 home runs total in his high school career and was named an AFLAC All-American in '08.
Depending on how Spring Training goes for Tate, he'll either begin his pro career with the Padres' summer entry in the Arizona League or the short-season Northwest League.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
