Padres star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr banned for 80 games

CNN
—

The San Diego Padres suffered a major blow to their title ambitions as their star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Tatis’ suspension, which MLB announced Friday night, puts him out for the remainder of the season and the first 32 games of next year.

“We were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn today that Fernando Tatis Jr. tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program and was subsequently suspended for 80 games without pay,” they said Padres made a statement Friday. “We fully support the program and hope Fernando will learn from this experience.”

Tatis, who missed the Padres’ first 114 games with a wrist injury, had recently started a rehabilitation stint with the minors and seemed poised to join the Padres’ line-up soon. In 2021, Tatis hit a league-leading 42 homers and had 97 RBIs while finishing third in National League Most Valuable Player voting.

The MLB press release said the substance Tatis tested positive for was clostebol, a steroid.

After announcing his suspension, the MLB Players Association released a statement on Tatis’ behalf.

“It turns out I accidentally took a drug to treat tinea that contained clostebol,” Tatis said. “I should have used the resources at my disposal to make sure there were no prohibited substances in what I was consuming. I didn’t succeed.”

In his statement, Tatis apologized to the organization of the Padres, the league and the fans, calling what he had done “my mistake”.

“I have no excuses for my mistake and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this game that I love,” Tatis said.

“I have taken countless drug tests throughout my professional career, including one on March 29, 2022, all of which have returned negative results up to this test.

“I’m completely shattered. There is nowhere else in the world I would rather be than competing with my teammates on the field. After initially appealing the ban, I realized that my error was the cause of this result and for that reason I have decided to serve my ban immediately. I look forward to rejoining my teammates on the field in 2023.”

In 2021, Tatis reportedly signed a 14-year deal worth $340 million.