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Jeff Passan ESPN
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- ESPN MLB Insider Author of “The Arm: Inside the Billion-Dollar Mystery of the Most Valuable Commodity in Sports”
San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Tatis’ suspension, announced by MLB on Friday, is effective immediately, meaning the All-Star can’t play in the majors this year. In a statement, Tatis said he was not appealing the ban because it was his “mistake” that led to the positive test.
“It turns out that I inadvertently took a ringworm medication that contained Clostebol,” Tatis said. “I had to use the resources available to me to make sure there were no banned substances in what I took. I didn’t do it.
“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 mistake and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this game. Love I have taken countless drug tests throughout my professional career, including March 29, 2022, all of which have come back negative 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 realized that my mistake was the reason for this result and for that reason I decided to start serving my punishment immediately. I look forward to rejoining my teammates on the field in 2023.”
Tatis was assigned to minor league rehab after missing the first four months of the season with a broken left wrist and will now be on the restricted list for the Padres’ final 48 regular season games. Any postseason games the Padres play this season will count toward Tatis’ 80 game total. The remainder of the sentence will be served at the start of the 2023 season.
Freddy Galvis and Dee Gordon are among the major leaguers previously suspended for using Clostebol, an anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmic and dermatological use. It is also banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, and Olympic cross-country skiing gold medalist Teresa Johaug was suspended in 2016 after testing positive for it.
Tatis, 23, is one of MLB’s biggest stars, the center of multiple marketing campaigns and is in the second season of a 14-year, $340 million contract.
After becoming a star in his rookie season at age 20, Tatis, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound shortstop whose power, speed and penchant for the spectacular won him legions of fans, finished fourth in National League MVP voting in his sophomore campaign . Last year, he went even better, signing a record deal, finishing third in MVP voting and cementing himself as one of the best players in the game.
The Padres slumped but had high hopes for 2022 after hiring Bob Melvin as their new manager. During the lockout that delayed spring training, Tatis broke his wrist in a motorcycle accident, requiring surgery. San Diego has vowed to take his rehab slowly and is buzzing with anticipation for a lineup with Tatis leading off, new acquisition Juan Soto hitting second and third baseman Manny Machado third.
The suspension was announced shortly before the Padres played in Washington. San Diego started the day 63-51 and held the final three wild card spots in the NL.
“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 has subsequently received an 80-game suspension without pay,” the Padres said in a statement. “We fully support the program and hope that Fernando will learn from this experience.”
The suspension will cost Tatis about $2.9 million. Tatis will forfeit $1,510,989 of his $5 million salary this year, covering the final 55 days and 48 games of the season. He will forfeit roughly $1.39 million of his $7 million salary over the first 32 games of next season, with the exact number determined by how many days he misses.
In 273 career games, Tatis is hitting .292/.369/.569 with 81 home runs, 192 RBI and 52 stolen bases.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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