ICYMI: Manny Machado/Fernando Tatis Dugout Screaming Match (With Inside Story)

The San Diego Padres have been on a freefall for a couple of months now, falling a full 3.5 games back of the St. Louis Cardinals for the 2nd Wild Card spot that once seemed like it was a lock for the Padres. 

The frustration was out in full view Saturday night for all to see, as Manny Machado went full-out psycho on Fernando Tatis Jr. in the dugout, in an explosive shouting match.

Tensions were running high between Tatis and Machado 👀

(via @joe_yancey3)pic.twitter.com/ibQvn12wZ7

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) September 19, 2021

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal is now reporting that the incident goes even much deeper than any Machado/Tatis rift, and that there is in fact a "leadership void" in the Padres dugout, that is most certainly landing at the feet of manager Jayce Tingler.

The incident began after Tatis slammed his helmet into the dugout after a called third strike, and first it was bench coach Bobby Dickerson doing the yelling, according to Rosenthal. That's when Machado took over. 

“You go play baseball!” he was heard shouting at Tatis, and “it’s not f**king about you!”

But sources say that Tingler is facing "second-guessing in his own clubhouse," says the report. The team had already fired pitching coach Larry Rothschild just a month ago, and the writing seems to be on the wall for Tingler. 

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Tribune says that Tingler "does not possess the sway to have quashed a situation that had been brewing for weeks."

Perhaps this shouldn't be too surprising, as Tingler is the same manager that, last season, threw his young ebullient superstar shortstop under the bus for the heinous crime of... swinging at a 3-0 pitch and violating the "unwritten rules" of baseball. 

This should be a very interesting, and volatile offseason in San Diego.