WASHINGTON — The San Diego Padres’ master plan to build a super team capable of fighting for a World Series title hit a significant snag Friday with star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. suspended for the remainder of the season due to a positive drug test.
Tatis, who didn’t play at all in 2022 after undergoing surgery in March to repair a broken wrist, had just started a rehab mission in the minor leagues — and he was set to join the Padres as soon as next week.
However, Major League Baseball’s announcement that Tatis had tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol abruptly shut the door on the 23-year-old being part of any playoff push.
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In response to his 80-game suspension that will extend through next season, Tatis released a statement through the MLB Players Association apologizing to the Padres organization and its fans. He called the result “devastating” and said the positive test was the result of medication he had taken to treat ringworm.
“It’s his story,” padres general manager AJ Preller told local reporters Friday outside the visitors’ pavilion at Nationals Park.
“We were hoping that from the offseason to now there would be some maturity, and obviously with the news today it’s more of a pattern and it’s something we need to dig a little deeper.”
Tatis did not play for the Padres in 2022 after breaking his wrist in a motorcycle accident during the offseason.
“I think what we need to achieve is a moment where we have confidence,” Preller said. “Over the last six or seven months, I think that’s something we haven’t really been able to have.”
Preller informed the players of the suspension, and manager Bob Melvin also addressed the team shortly before they took to the field for their game against the Nationals.
“It’s a blow for us. We’ll have to move on,” Melvin said. “I’m glad we made the moves we made at the deadline. We still feel like we got a very good team and sometimes you have to face adversity as a team.
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Clubhouse players echoed Melvin’s comments.
“Very disappointed. This is the second time we’ve been disappointed with him,” said Mike Clevinger, the winning pitcher in Friday’s 10-5 win. “You hope he grows and learns from this and learns that it’s more than him right now.”
“He hasn’t been on the team all year,” third baseman Manny Machado said. “We have come to this point so far without him. We’ve been waiting for him to come back and hope he’s a spark plug for the team.
The Padres have improved to 64-51 this season and are currently in possession of third place in the NL playoffs.
The Padres have been eagerly awaiting Tatis, the 2021 NL home run champion, to be fully healthy and join trade deadline acquisitions Juan Soto, Josh Bell and Josh Hader in their quest for the club’s first World Series title. franchise history.
Instead, Tatis will not only miss the final 48 games of the 2022 regular season plus the playoffs, but his suspension will also extend to the World Baseball Classic next spring and the first 32 games of 2023.
“We’ve got the guys to get where we want to be,” Machado added. “Obviously with the trade deadline, what we did there, we made the squad stronger and made it a lot better.
“We still have the same goal, which is to try to make a World Series and bring a championship to San Diego. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”
