San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. gets suspended for 80 games. Here's why

Fernando Tatis Jr., one of baseball's brightest young stars, was suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

He was only a few days away from making a comeback after wrist injury and one step away from reclaiming his position as one of the most successful shortstops in baseball history. As part of their quest for a championship, the San Diego Padres eagerly awaited his return after a blockbuster trade for Juan Soto. The Padres' championship hopes have been largely weakened after Tatis' suspension.

A suspension of 80 games will begin on Friday and last for the remaining 48 regular-season games. As for how long the extension will last, that will depend on how far the Padres progress into the playoffs, if they make the postseason. In addition, Tatis is not expected to be able to represent the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic next year.




Despite being one of the most compelling stars in the game, Tatis has played in 273 regular-season games over the course of four seasons. It is likely that he will miss the entire 2022 season due to factors that appear well within his control: a wrist injury that most likely happened during an offseason motorcycle accident, as well as a positive drug test. He missed seven weeks of 2019 due to a stress reaction in his lower back, and he spent all of 2021 dealing with a balky left shoulder.

As a result of his suspension, Tatis may lose close to $3 million in salary, and he issued a 198-word statement saying he took a medication for ringworm that contained Clostebol. He also added that he is totally devastated. He also said that he would want to be nowhere else in the world. He would rather be on the field competing with his teammates.

He has decided to start serving his suspension immediately and he looks forward to joining his teammates in 2023.