Tatis Jr banned for 80 games: what did he take and when will he return?
Fernando Tatis Jr, who has not played in 2022 due to a hand injury, has been suspended by MLB for consuming a prohibited substance.
One of the great attractions at the San Diego Padres after the trade deadline was the prospect of seeing Dominican duo Fernando Tatis Jr and Juan Soto play together. However, that now won’t happen until 2023.
Tatis banned for taking Clostebol
MLB said in a statement on Friday that Tatis has been suspended for 80 games after violating the league’s performance-enhancing drug policy, having tested positive for Clostebol. The substance is a steroid used to improve performance and is also banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency. The punishment will take effect immediately.
The suspension means that Tatis, who has not seen activity in 2022 due to a broken wrist, will be unable to play this season and will miss approximately the first six weeks of the 2023 campaign.
“I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this game I love”
In a statement, Tatis said he had taken Clostebol by mistake and is “completely devastated” at the ban. “It turns out that I inadvertently took a medication to treat ringworm that contained Clostebol,” the 23-year-old explained. “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 [principal Padres owner] Peter [Seidler], [president of baseball operations] A.J. [Preller], 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.”
He continued: “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.”
Padres “surprised and extremely disappointed”
Reacting to the news, the Padres said: “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. We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Fernando will learn from this experience.”
Tatis, who is on a 14-year, $340m contract with the Padres, will forfeit around $3m during his suspension.