Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres is suspended 80 games after testing positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball's (MLB's) Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. /CFP
Fernando Tatis Jr., shortstop of the San Diego Padres, was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of Major League Baseball's (MLB's) Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the major league announced on Friday.
"It turns out that I inadvertently took a medication to treat ringworm that contained Clostebol," Tatis Jr. said. "I should have used the resources available to me in order to ensure that no banned substances were in what I took. I failed to do so."
"I want to apologize to [team owner] Peter [Seidler], [general manager] A.J. [Preller], the entire Padres organization, my teammates, Major League Baseball and fans everywhere for my mistake. I have no excuse for my error, and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this game I love. I have taken countless drug tests throughout my professional career, including on March 29, 2022, all of which have returned negative results until this test," he added.
As the suspension is effective immediately, Tatis Jr. will not only miss the final 48 regular season games of the Padres in 2022, he also won't be able to play if the team makes the playoffs as well as the beginning of the 2023 season.
That will be a big hit to the Padres which are currently 64-51 and second in the National League (NL) West. They signed a 14-year, $340 million contract extension with Tatis Jr. in 2021. He made his All-Star debut in the following season during which he hit 97 runs batted in, 42 home runs at .282 of batting average, .364 of on-base percentage and .611 of slugging percentage.
Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres hits during the sixth inning in the game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco, California, October 2, 2021. /CFP
Tatis Jr. was selected for the All-MLB First Team and won the Silver Slugger Award in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He was also the run leader in 2021. He hasn't played for the Padres in the 2022 season after breaking his wrist in a motorcycle accident during the offseason, but he was on a minor league rehabilitation assignment when the suspension was announced.
"I am completely devastated," the 23-year-old said. "There is nowhere else in the world I would rather be than on the field competing with my teammates. After initially appealing the suspension, I have realized that my mistake was the cause of this result, and for that reason I have decided to start serving my suspension immediately. I look forward to rejoining my teammates on the field in 2023."
Tatis Jr.'s suspension could blow the Padres' plan for the season. The team acquired Juan Soto via a blockbuster trade with the Washington Nationals, expecting to build a competitive squad around him, Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. The team only made six postseason appearances since they joined the major league in 1969 and lost two World Series. The last time they were in the playoffs, the Padres lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-0 in the NL Division Series in 2020.
"I think what we need to get to is a point in time we trust [Tatis Jr.]. Over the course of the last six or seven months, that's been something that we haven't been really able to have there," Preller said. "think from our standpoint, obviously he's a great talent, he's a guy we have a lot of history with and do believe in, but these things only work when there's trust both ways."