Just when the San Diego Padres thought they’d be getting star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. back from a season-long injury, some disappointing news has become public record.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that Tatis Jr. has been suspended 80 games by MLB for violating its policy against Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs).
Said suspension will cost Tatis Jr. the remainder of the 2022 regular season, all playoff action and the start of the 2023 campaign.
To say that this is monumental news around the baseball world would be an understatement. The 23-year-old Tatis has missed the entire season due to a fractured scaphoid bone he suffered during the offseason. He was on rehab assignment in Double-A at the time of this news breaking.
Considered one of the best young players in the game, Tatis Jr. had a breakout 2021 campaign with San Diego that saw him finish third in the National League MVP race.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. stats (2021): .282 averag, 42 HR, 97 RBI, .975 OPS
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Impact of Fernando Tatis Jr. suspension
For the Padres, this news comes shortly a week after they acquired star outfielder Juan Soto to team up with Tatis Jr. as the face of the franchise.
San Diego currently sits at 63-51 and in second place in the National League West race. It is 16 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and owns the top wild card spot.
Assuming the Padres do earn a spot in the National League Playoffs, they will now have to rely on Soto and fellow former Nationals star Josh Bell to make an impact. As for the shortstop spot, San Diego will continue to go with an underwhelming Ha-Seong Kim. He’s hitting a mere .247 with a .695 OPS.
Remember, the Padres traded young shortstop C.J. Abrams as part of the package to acquire Soto and Bell from Washington.
This news is also disappointing from a long-term perspective. San Diego had signed Fernando Tatis Jr. to a 14-year, $340 million contract back in February of 2021.