SAN DIEGO — San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. appears likely to miss the start of the season, as multiple outlets report he broke his wrist during the offseason.

The news, reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee and the Athletic’s Dennis Lin Monday, is a frustrating development for the stud shortstop. He is one of the faces of Major League Baseball and had an excellent 2021 season that was only marred by nagging injuries.

“Surgery probable,” Acee wrote on Twitter. “Could miss a few months, but he’s been a quick healer.”

Lin, who cited Padres General Manager A.J. Preller for his report, said the surgery would have “a recovery time of up to three months.”

In December, Tatis got in a minor motorcycle crash in his native Dominican Republic, according to local media. Reporters had a hard time confirming many details of the crash because it happened in a foreign country and during the MLB lockout, when teams could not comment on players. It remained unclear Monday if it had anything to do with Tatis’ current injury.

The 22-year-old slugger finished third in voting for the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 2021, hitting 42 home runs to go with a .282/.364/.611 slash line and 25 stolen bases. He will play a key role for the Padres as they fight to return to the playoffs after a second-half collapse last year.

The Padres play their Opening Day game on April 7 in Arizona. The team’s home opener at Petco Park comes April 14.

Check back for updates to this developing story.