San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended for 80 games Friday due to a drug violation, the professional baseball team said on Friday.
The 23-year-old shortstop violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program when he tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Clostebol, the Padres said in a statement.
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“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 team said in a statement, according to CBS Sports. “We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Fernando will learn from this experience.”
The suspension goes into effect immediately, according to the league. However, Tatis Jr. will need to be activated from the injured list before a game is counted toward the suspension.
The suspension will sideline Tatis Jr. for the rest of the season and stretches into the 2023 season. Tatis Jr. has already sat out most of the season due to a fractured wrist caused by a motorcycle accident in December.
The positive drug test was the result of Tatis Jr.’s failure to check whether a medication contained banned substances, the shortstop said in a statement released through MLB’s Players Association.
“I want to apologize to [Padres chairman] Peter [Seidler], [general manager] A.J. [Preller], the entire Padres organization, my teammates, Major League Baseball, and fans everywhere for my mistake,” Tatis Jr. said. “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.”
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The 23-year-old shortstop joined the team in 2019 and is in the second year of a 14-year $340 million contract, according to CBS Sports. Last season, Tatis Jr. finished third in the National League’s MVP vote, after hitting 31 doubles and 42 home runs and getting 97 RBI, 99 runs, and 25 steals.
The Padres, with a 63-51 record, are one game ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for the final National League wild-card spot to get into this year’s postseason.
