Fernando Tatís Jr.’s Suspension Raises Questions About One of Baseball’s Most Brash Young Stars

The pieces were put in place by Padres general manager AJ Preller not just to set up a long postseason run this season, but to create a dream lineup for the future: Soto and two of the most talented sluggers in the game, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatís Jr.

But on Friday, the new-look Padres were staggered by a new reality when Tatís was suspended for 80 games by MLB after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.

The news came as Tatís, who has not played in the major leagues in 2022, was in Double-A San Antonio as he continued his rehab from surgery to repair a broken wrist that he reportedly suffered this past offseason in a motorcycle accident. (When Tatís was asked by reporters in spring training when the accident had occurred, he replied, “Which one?”)

The Padres had been hopeful the 23-year-old shortstop would return to the lineup later this month. Now, he’ll miss the remainder of this season as the Padres fight for one of the National League’s three wild-card sports. And Tatís will also spend the opening stretch of the 2023 season on the sidelines as he serves his suspension.

The supremely talented slugger rose to prominence with bat-flipping bravado that some saw as arrogance and others embraced as the face of a new generation in a staid game. Now, the combination of the motorcycle accident and the suspension have quickly raised bigger issues about Tatís.

Those concerns are being voiced even in the Padres’ front office. Speaking to reporters late Friday, Preller said: “We were hoping that from the offseason to now that there would be some maturity, and obviously with the news today, it’s more of a pattern and it’s something that we’ve got to dig a bit more into.”

He added: “At the end of the day, it’s one thing to say it. You’ve got to start showing by your actions.”

The chain of events also received a frosty response in the Padres’ clubhouse this weekend.

“Very disappointed,” Padres pitcher Mike Clevinger said. “It’s the second time we’ve been disappointed. You just hope he grows up and learns from this and it’s about more than just him right now.”

Clevinger added, “Look at this clubhouse. We don’t need anyone else. We have everyone we need right here.”

Commissioner Rob Manfred’s office said late Friday that Tatís was suspended without pay, effective immediately, after testing positive for Clostebol, an anabolic steroid.

Tatís sounded a tone of contrition in accepting the penalty, even as he declared he had ingested the banned substance accidentally.

In a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association, Tatís said he “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.”

Tatís apologized for “my mistake” and added: “I have no excuse for my error, and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this game I love.” He described himself as “completely devastated” and said that, after initially appealing the suspension, he had “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 Padres said they were “surprised and extremely disappointed” to learn of the test result and added: “We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Fernando will learn from this experience.”

On Saturday, Padres manager Bob Melvin said Tatís sounded “remorseful” in a phone call.

Tatís’s popularity has exploded since reaching the major leagues in 2019. With immense talent, blond dreadlocks and epic bat flips, he quickly became one of the game’s breakout stars and a face of its hopes to draw a younger and more diverse audience. In parts of three seasons, he has hit 81 home runs and has a career batting average of .292.

While some baseball purists have been put off by what they consider his showboating, Tatís, the son of a former major leaguer himself, has owned his showmanship.

“I feel like when fans see a player that plays the game with love and shows he really respects the game and all he’s doing is having fun and showing how it feels in the moment, they just embrace it,” Tatís told The Wall Street Journal in 2021.

His potential was spectacularly rewarded. Before the 2021 season, agreed to a 14-year contract worth an eye-popping $340 million, which then was the third-highest total in MLB history.

This year, the Padres have seemed intent on maximizing their long-simmering postseason hopes. With Tatís and Machado already on the roster, the team this month made a huge deal to acquire another generational talent, Soto, in hopes of breaking the rival Los Angeles Dodgers’ grip on the National League West.

It isn’t working, yet. After Soto joined the lineup, the Dodgers swept the Padres last week. Los Angeles held a 17-game lead over San Diego heading into Sunday’s play, and the Padres are currently clinging to the final wild-card slot in the National League.

And now, Tatís won’t be available at all for the season’s stretch run. The Padres have little option but to try to shrug it off.

“He hasn’t been part of our team all year, and we’ve gotten this far without him,” Machado said. “We’ve been doing it all year. Just keep doing it.”

Write to Bruce Orwall at [email protected] and Jim Chairusmi at [email protected]