(New York) San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr., one of major league baseball’s hottest rising stars, was suspended for 80 games on Friday following a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance.
Updated yesterday at 9:08 p.m.
The sanction imposed by Major League Baseball authorities takes effect immediately, which means that Tatis Jr. will not be able to play in the Major Leagues this year. He will miss the remaining 48 regular season games and the first 32 of the next campaign.
The 23-year-old Tatis Jr. was a star player last season after leading the National League with 42 home runs. Spectacular at bat and defensively, Tatis Jr. had still not played this season, following a fractured left wrist during training camp.
According to Major League Baseball, Tatis Jr. tested positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance.
“It turns out that I inadvertently took a ringworm medication containing Clostebol,” Tatis said in a statement released by the Players Association. “I should have used the resources available to make sure there were no banned substances in what I took. What I failed to do. »
“I have no excuse for my mistake, and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this sport that I love,” he said. I am completely devastated. »
Freddy Galvis and Dee Gordon are among the Major League players previously suspended for using Clostebol, an anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmological and dermatological purposes. It is also banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency and cross-country skier Therese Johaug, an Olympic gold medalist, was suspended in 2016 after testing positive.
Tatis was on the injured list this season after breaking his left wrist in mid-March.
He had recently embarked on a rehabilitation program with the Padres’ farmhouse at the AA level, and the California squad, which is aspiring to a playoff qualification, hoped that Tatis Jr. could return and increase his chances in the final stretch of the schedule.
“We were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn that Fernando Tatis Jr. tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and subsequently received a 80-game suspension without pay,” Padres executives said in a statement.
“We fully support the program and hope that Fernando will learn from this experience. »
Earlier in August, the Padres acquired star outfielder Juan Soto to boost their chances of a long playoff run. In their quest for a first World Series, the Padres hoped a batting roster that included Soto, Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado would give them a better chance of achieving that goal — now they’ll try to do so without a key cog in the team. crew.
The penalty will cost Tatis almost 2.9 million.
“There’s nowhere else in the world I want to be other than on the field with my teammates,” Tatis said. After appealing the decision, initially I realized that my mistake led to the consequence and for this reason I decided to start serving my suspension immediately. I look forward to joining my teammates on the pitch in 2023.”
The sanction was announced moments before the clash between the Padres and the Nationals in Washington. The California club started the day with a record of 63-51, occupying the last place of the teams drafted of the National.