SAN DIEGO — The Fernando Tatis Jr. suspension continues to make waves in Major League Baseball. The most recent developments include the shortstop meeting on Thursday with club GM AJ Preller. The All-Star shortstop is also expected to meet with team owner, Peter Seidler on Saturday, according to the Union Tribune.
Tatis will also meet with his teammates, but the date and time of that meeting is unknown.
Tatis Jr. received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program according to MLB.
When the suspension was announced, many of his Padres teammates were understandably critical of the young superstar. Pitcher Mike Clevinger said, ““Very disappointed,” he continued, “The second time we’ve been disappointed with him. You hope he grows up and learns from this and learns it’s about more than just him.”
The frustration and disappointment didn’t stop there. GM AJ Preller didn’t mince words on the situation saying, “He’s somebody that from the organization’s standpoint we’ve invested time and money into. When he’s on the field, he’s a difference maker. You have to learn from the situations. 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. ... I’m sure he’s very disappointed. But at the end of the day, it’s one thing to say it. You’ve got to start showing by your actions.”
The Major League Baseball Players Association released a statement on behalf of Fernando Tatis:
"I have been informed by Major League Baseball that a test sample I submitted returned a positive result for Clostebol, a banned substance. It turns out that I 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.
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 error, and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this game I love. I have taken countless drug tests throughout my professional career, including on March 29, 2022, all of which have returned negative results 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 have 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."
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