As badly as Fernando Tatis Jr. wants to join this year’s Home Run Derby festivities, the San Diego Padres’ star shortstop said Friday that he has to focus on “bigger priorities” — namely, his health — in turning down the opportunity.

Then a few hours later, he clubbed three home runs against the Arizona Diamondbacks, giving him 25 for the season and tying him for best in the majors with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The 22-year-old Tatis is likely a shoo-in to be in Denver as the starter at short for the All-Star Game on July 13. Citing a continuing injury concern to his left shoulder, however, Tatis will not take part in the Derby on July 12 at Coors Field, a stadium famous for allowing many home runs.

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The third-year player has missed 19 of the Padres’ 78 games this season, mostly due to a partially dislocated left shoulder. Tatis left a game early on Saturday because of a flare-up of the injury and sat out on Sunday, but he returned the next day.

“It’s pretty hard (to say no). It’s something you always dream about. Something I would dream about as a kid,” Tatis told the San Diego Union Tribune, referring to his Derby aspirations. “I feel like there are bigger priorities right now. That is my health.”

Other players of note who will not take part in the Derby are Guerrero and the New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge.

Tatis’s big night, in which he went 4-for-5 with four runs scored and four RBIs, is now alone in first place in homer in the National League. Tatis is hitting .293, and his OPS (1.076) trails only Guerrero (1.116). He has 54 RBIs and 58 runs scored.

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Guerrero has led the majors in home runs for much of the season, including going deep in four straight games earlier this month. Judge, who led the American League with 52 home runs in 2017, has 16 this season.

–Field Level Media