NEW YORK ( Associated Press) — San Diego Padres Dynamo Fernando Tatis Jr., one of the brightest, freshest stars in all of Major League Baseball, was suspended Friday 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
The penalty imposed by MLB was effective immediately, meaning the shortstop could not play for the post-season-conflict Padres at the majors this year. He would not play the remaining 48 regular-season games this season and the first 32 games next year.
MLB said the suspension – making Tatis one of the most prominent players ever punished for PED – would also exclude him from playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
Charming at plate and field, 23-year-old Tatis was an All-Star last season, when he led the National League with 42 home runs. He did not play this season after breaking his wrist in the offseason, but was expected to rejoin the Padres next week to promote a lineup that recently added star outfielder Juan Soto. .
MLB said Tatis tested positive for clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance.
In a statement released by the players’ union, Tatis said he was “absolutely devastated” and apologized to Padres management, his teammates, MLB and “and fans everywhere for my mistake.”
He said, “It turns out that I had inadvertently taken a medication to treat shingles containing clostebol. I should have used the resources available to me to make sure that I took what I took.” There is no banned substance. I failed to do so.”
“I have no excuse for my mistake, and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this game that I love,” he said.
Freddy Galvis and de Gordon are among the first major leaguers to be suspended for using clostebol, an anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmology and dermatology use. It is also banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and Olympic gold medal-winning cross-country skier Therese Johag was suspended in 2016 after testing positive for it.
One of Norway’s most decorated female cross-country skiers, Johag, tested positive for the steroid clostebol. The Norwegian Ski Federation said the drug came from a lotion given by team doctor Fredrik Bendiksen to treat a sunburn on his lips during high-altitude training in Italy in August.
Players who test positive for PED are ineligible for the season after that year.
Tatis became one of the biggest MLB players since the trial began with penalties in 2004, including Alex Rodriguez (2014 season), Manny Ramirez (50 games in 2009 and 100 games in 2011), Robinson Cano (2018 and 2020). in 80 games). season) and Miguel Tejada (105 games in 2013).
Tatis was on the injured list this season after breaking his left wrist – believed to have happened in a motorcycle accident in the Dominican in December. He had surgery in mid-March.
On August 6, Tatis began a minor rehab assignment with Double-A San Antonio. He had scored 2 for 9 in four matches with a double and a triple.
“We were shocked 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 subsequently received an 80-game suspension without pay. ,” said the Padres. a statement. “We fully support the program and hope that Fernando will learn from this experience.”
The Padres traded for Soto earlier this month in hopes of making a run in October. They hoped that a roster that included Soto, Tatis and fellow slugger Manny Machado could give them a better chance at the first World Series championship in team history – now, they’ll have to make that effort without one of those key pieces. .
Tatis will not be able to play for the Dominican Republic at the WBC next March. Dominican fans were salivating at the prospect of an injured lineup that included Tatis, Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Rafael Devers and Jose Ramirez.
The fine would cost Tatis about $2.9 million.
Tatis will lose $1,510,989 of his $5 million salary this year, which will cover the final 55 days and 48 games of the season. For the first 32 games of the next season, he would lose about $1.39 million out of his $7 million salary, with the exact number determined by how many days he missed.
“There is nowhere else in the world that I am competing with my teammates on the field,” Tatis said. “After initially appealing the suspension, I realized that my mistake was the cause of this consequence, and for this reason I have decided to immediately begin serving my suspension. I look forward to reuniting with my teammates on the field in 2023.”
“I have taken countless drug tests throughout my professional career, including March 29, 2022, all of which have returned negative results up to this test,” he said.
The penalty was announced shortly before the Padres played in Washington. San Diego started the day 63–51 and captured three NL wild-card spots in the final.
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