Suspended Padres star Tatis plans on ‘redeeming’ himself in upcoming season

Baseball

Published 04.02.2023

Suspended Padres star Tatis plans on ‘redeeming’ himself in upcoming season

SAN DIEGO — The giggle and smile are beginning to return. So, too, is the fan adulation for Fernando Tatis Jr., at the very least in San Diego.

Still serving an 80-game suspension after testing optimistic for a performance-enhancing drug, the famous person was warmly acquired at FanFest on Saturday, when 1000’s of followers jammed Petco Park for a preview of probably the most eagerly anticipated season in Padres historical past.

Tatis acquired sustained applause when he was launched earlier than a panel dialogue on a grassy knoll simply past heart discipline that additionally included star teammates Manny Machado, Juan Soto and the newly signed Xander Bogaerts.

“I love you San Diego. I’m not going to leave here for a really long time,” Tatis advised the gang, to extra applause.

This season shall be a redemption tour for Tatis, certainly one of baseball’s greatest stars whose whole 2022 season was worn out by a wrist harm after which the suspension. He was on the cusp of getting back from surgical procedure on his left wrist when he was suspended by MLB on Aug. 12. He missed the Padres’ stirring run to the NL Championship Series, the place they misplaced to the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Ben Nicholson-Smith is Sportsnet’s baseball editor. Arden Zwelling is a senior author. Together, they convey you probably the most in-depth Blue Jays podcast within the league, protecting off all the newest news with opinion and evaluation, in addition to interviews with different insiders and crew members.

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“I’ve missed it a lot,” Tatis mentioned throughout a news convention earlier within the day. “I mean, I missed a year of it. I’m not looking forward to missing anymore. It just feels great to be out there again.”

Tatis mentioned the hardest half was lacking the postseason. The Padres eradicated the 101-win New York Mets within the wild-card spherical earlier than beating their greatest rival, the 111-win Los Angeles Dodgers, to succeed in the NLCS for the primary time since 1998.

“It has given me a lot of fuel, trust me,” Tatis mentioned. “I don’t want to put much words into it, I more want to prove myself on the field, just get back to the field with my boys. I definitely missed that fire, being in the jungle with them. It was definitely a dagger to my heart and now I’m looking forward to being on that front line.”

Tatis blamed his optimistic PED take a look at on a cream he mentioned he took for ringworm. He was already drawing scrutiny after breaking his left wrist in December 2021, reportedly in a bike accident in his native Dominican Republic that required surgical procedure in March. After his suspension was introduced, Tatis had surgical procedure on his troublesome left shoulder.

Tatis mentioned he discovered from all that occurred to him within the final 12 months. “I’m really looking forward to redeeming myself,” he mentioned.

He’s been taking batting apply, catching flyballs and fielding grounders for a couple of month. He expects to be a full participant at spring coaching and be prepared when he’s eligible to rejoin the lively roster on April 20.

Tatis mentioned his shoulder “feels really good. Everything that we have been doing feels back to normal. I’m as close to 100% as I’ve been in the last two years. It feels like it was the perfect time to do it and I’m really glad we decided to get it out of the way.”

When Tatis returns, it gained’t be at shortstop. The Padres signed Bogaerts to a $280 million, 11-year contract in early December. Tatis will probably play within the outfield, though which place hasn’t been decided.

“I’ve got to talk to my manager,” he mentioned with fun. “But I’m open. I feel this is a great team we have, it’s a great roster. I feel everybody’s on the same page and that page is winning. So, whatever it takes we’re going to do it.”

Asked concerning the response he’s positive to get on the street, he mentioned: “I feel like I’ve seen everything, what this game can bring you, what the fans can bring you, and I’m definitely looking forward to that challenge. It’s going to be fun and it’s going to be one of the most emotional years, I feel like, in my career. I’m looking to embrace it and looking to what’s going to come.”

Tatis, who performs with a swagger, was an All-Star in 2021.

“He’s a big part of this team, a big part of this organization, and we’re going to be with him the whole way,” mentioned Machado, who completed second in NL MVP voting. “To have him again wholesome, to have him again in that lineup and have him do the issues that he’s able to doing, is big.

“He was a big, big part of our lineup in the past and he’s going to be a big part of the lineup this year for us. I know he’s going to have a monster year and he’s going to take us to the promised land,” Machado mentioned.