Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. will be suspended 80 games without pay for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the league announced on Friday night.
Tatis tested positive for Clostebol, which is on the league’s banned substances list.
The Padres released a statement on Friday night in the wake of Tatis’s suspension.
“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 subsequently received an 80-game suspension without pay,” the statement read. “We fully support the program and are hopeful that Fernando will learn from his experience.”
Tatis also released a statement of his own through the MLB Players Association.
“I have been informed by Major League Baseball that a test sample I submitted returned a positive test for Clostebol, a banned substance,” Tatis’s statement read. “It turns out that I inadvertently took a medication to treat ringworm that contained Clostebol. 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 Peter, AJ, 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. I am completely devastated. 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.”
The star shortstop was eyeing a return to the Padres lineup, as he has spent the entire year thus far rehabilitating a fractured left wrist that he suffered in an offseason motorcycle accident.
Tatis recently began his minor league rehab stint with Double-A San Antonio. His return, along with third baseman Manny Machado and recently acquired outfielder Juan Soto figured to be a formidable middle of the order for the Padres as they navigate the National League playoff race.
Per ESPN Stats and Info, Tatis is the third player in the expansion era (since 1961) to finish in the top three for MVP voting and miss the entire following season. He joins Moises Alou, who missed 1999 due to a torn ACL and Sandy Koufax, who retired following the 1966 season.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates.
