San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. has been embarrassed by a major league anti-doping policy violation, but some are willing to give him a second chance.
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The shortstop player recently received an 80-game suspension for consuming Clostebol, a banned substance he says he unknowingly took. Having to give up the rest of the regular season and the playoffs if his club gets there, Tatis Jr. disappointed people around the Padres, including players like pitcher Mike Clevinger and general manager AJ Preller. However, others are hoping to see him bounce back when he returns to action in 2023.
“I am on his side, I talk to him daily. He feels very bad and everyone speaks badly of him. The world is like that. You are making a mistake and everyone wants to crucify you, but not me,” outfielder Jurickson Profar told The San Diego Union-Tribune.
“I support him so he can get through this and get back on the court to show the world what kind of athlete he represents, no matter when he comes back.”
Skeptics
Author of 42 circuits in 2021, Tatis son will however have to convince many people within the club when he is eligible to play again. Already, his 2022 campaign is a total mess, as he won’t have played a single game; surgery on his left wrist kept him out for the entire regular season before the sanction was announced.
“Several things from now on will dictate what happens next. He is still our teammate and he will end up inside our locker room. We will therefore have to find a way to be on the same wavelength and put it all behind us, ”said gunner Joe Musgrove to the ESPN network.
Despite the star player’s absence, the Padres were 66-55 heading into their meeting with the Washington Nationals on Friday night. They were ranked second in the National League West Division and were in the postseason playoff picture.