Tatis hit with an 80-game suspension
NEW YORK — San Diego Padres dynamo Fernando Tatis Jr., one of the brighest, freshest stars in all of Major League Baseball, was suspended 80 games on Friday after testing positive for a performanceenhancing substance.
The penalty imposed by MLB was effective immediately, meaning the shortstop cannot play in the majors this year for the postseason-contending Padres. He will miss the remaining 48 regular-season games this season and the first 32 next year.
MLB said the suspension — making Tatis one of the most prominent players penalized for PEDs — also will knock him out of playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
Flashy at the plate and in the field, the 23-yearold Tatis was an All-Star last season when he led the National League with 42 home runs. He had not played this season after breaking his wrist in the offseason, but was expected to rejoin the Padres next week to boost a lineup that recently added star outfielder Juan Soto.
MLB said Tatis tested positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance. In a statement released by the players’ union, Tatis said he was “completely devastated” and apologized to Padres management, his teammates, MLB and “and fans everywhere for my mistake.”
“It turns out that I inadvertently took a medication to treat ringworm that contained Clostebol,“he said. “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 have no excuse for my error, and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this game I love,” he said.
Freddy Galvis and Dee Gordon are among the major leaguers previously suspended for using Clostebol, an anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmological and dermatological use. It is also banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and Olympic gold medal winning cross-country skier Therese Johaug was suspended in 2016 after testing positive for it.
Johaug, one of Norway’s most decorated female cross-country skiers, tested positive for the steroid clostebol. The Norwegian ski federation said the drug came from a lotion given to her by team doctor Fredrik Bendiksen to treat sunburn on her lips during highaltitude training in Italy in August.
Players who test positive for PEDs are ineligible for the postseason that year.
Tatis became one of the biggest MLB players suspended for PEDs since testing with penalties started in 2004, joining Alex Rodriguez (2014 ), Manny Ramirez (50 games in 2009 and 100 games in 2011), Robinson Cano (80 games in 2018 and 2020 ) and Miguel Tejada (105 games in 2013).
Tatis had been on the injured list this season after breaking his left wrist — believed to be in December in a motorcycle accident in the Domincan Republic. He had surgery in mid-March.
On Aug. 6, Tatis began a minor rehabilitation assignment with Class AA San Antonio. He was 2for-9 with a double and a triple in four games.