This year had already started bad for Fernando Tatis Jr., who has not played at all in the 2022 MLB regular season due to a fractured wrist during the offseason. However, things got even worse for the Padres star.
On Friday, Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Major League Baseball suspended Tatis Jr. for 80 games after testing positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance that violates the league’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
This is yet another blow for the 23-year-old shortstop, who won’t be seeing the ballpark for a while. Given the length of the suspension, many may wonder what happens next with his contract.
Fernando Tatis Jr. contract with San Diego Padres
In the 2021 offseason, Fernando Tatis Jr. signed a mammoth 14 year, fully guaranteed $340m contract with the San Diego Padres, including a $10 million signing bonus with an annual average salary of $24m, via Spotrac. In addition to having a no-trade clause through 2028, Tatis’ deal remains guaranteed, though the 80-game suspension will be without pay.
“We were surprised and extremely disappointed to learn today that Fernando Tatis Jr. tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Prevention and Treatment Program and subsequently received an 80-game suspension without pay,” the Padres said in a statement. “We fully support the Program and are hopeful that Fernando will learn from this experience.”
Tatis Jr. is one of the biggest stars in the league and he still has his entire career ahead of him. However, it’s fair to wonder whether his PED violation will take a toll in his potential. Hopefully, like the Padres said, he’ll learn from it.