WASHINGTON (AP) — San Diego Padres dynamo Fernando Tatis Jr., one of the brightest, freshest stars in all of Major League Baseball, was suspended 80 games on Friday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance and won't play this season.
MLB said Tatis tested positive for Clostebol, an anabolic steroid. Tatis said he accidentally took a medication to treat ringworm that contained the banned substance.
The penalty imposed by MLB was effective immediately, meaning the All-Star shortstop — who had been out the entire season because of a broken wrist but was expected to return to the playoff contenders next week — cannot play in the majors until next year.
Tatis will miss the remaining 48 regular-season games this year. Any postseason games the Padres play would count toward the 80 that Tatis must sit out, and he'll serve the rest of the suspension at the start of next season.
“Shocked everybody,” Padres star Manny Machado said after a 10-5 win over Washington.
The 23-year-old Tatis, who signed a $340 million, 14-year contract before the 2021 season, became one of the most prominent players ever penalized for performance-enhancing drugs, along with Alex Rodriguez and Manny Ramirez. The penalty will cost Tatis about $2.9 million.
MLB said the suspension also will prevent Tatis from playing for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic next March.
“Obviously, everybody’s very disappointed. Somebody that from the organization’s standpoint we invested time and money into,” Padres general manager A.J. Preller said at Nationals Park, where San Diego played Washington.
Flashy at the plate and in the field, Tatis was an All-Star last season when he led the National League with 42 home runs. He was set to
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