"Don't stop, keep motivating each of us" - Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. pens endearing message after disabled baseball player's inspiring story

Despite a relatively small amount of MLB experience, Fernando Tatis Jr. of the Padres is regarded as one of the most electric players around. Recently, the stud showed that while he's not putting on a show, he finds the time to connect with the less fortunate.

Mayker De Jesus is a 12-year-old from the Dominican Republic. A baseball fan, De Jesus suffered an unspeakable accident at the age of eight. While the young Dominican was riding his bike, he was struck by a truck, causing him to lose his leg.

Recently, Dominican journalist Hector Gomez shared a video of De Jesus in which the youngster said that one of his dreams is to meet Tatis Jr. Though Mayker did not likely expect anything to come of his wish, it appears to have yielded results.

Against all odds, the San Diego Padres outfielder found Mayker's appeal and replied.

Although Tatis is gearing up for spring training with his team in Arizona, he issued a heartfelt statement to his young fan:

"I hope one day we can meet in person, and I just want to wish you the best. Don't stop. Keep motivating each of us".

Despite his affliction, De Jesus keeps active in baseball in the Dominican Republic. A fan of Tigres del Licey, a local club in Santo Domingo, De Jesus cites former Miami Marlins infielder Emilio Bonifacio as his favorite MLB player.

Meanwhile, the 2024 season will be the fifth one for Fernando Tatis Jr. After hitting an NL-best 42 home runs in 2021, the 25-year-old missed the entire 2022 season due to injury and an 80-game PED suspension. Last season, Tatis hit .257/.322/.449 with 25 home runs and 78 RBIs.

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Do not let Fernando Tatis Jr.'s showmanship fool you

No stranger to showmanship, Fernando Tatis Jr., with his antics, has earned a reputation for being a showboat at times.

However, as is evidenced by his tear-jerking homage to a young fan, he remains as committed to his fans as any other star. Set to take on an NL East that features a resurgent Los Angeles Dodgers, Tatis can be sure that Mayker De Jesus will be watching his newest hero very closely this year.