Tatis goes hitless in return to Padres after 80-game PED suspension
PHOENIX (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. is again with the San Diego Padres, bringing his trademark aptitude to the sport of baseball.
He’s additionally returning with a bit of humility.
The 24-year-old performed in an everyday season recreation on Thursday night time for the primary time since an 80-game PED suspension that shocked and angered his teammates, administration and a fan base. He batted leadoff and performed proper discipline in a 7-5 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Tatis completed 0 for five on the plate, however made a pleasant operating catch within the eighth inning that saved an extra-base hit.
“It’s great to be back out there with my boys,” Tatis stated. “Just happy to get that ‘W’ and be back out there. Embraced every single moment, embraced the fans, embraced everything.”
Tatis’ maturity has been underneath the microscope over the previous couple years, ever since he signed a $330 million, 14-year contract previous to the 2021 season.
Tatis missed all of final season after breaking his left wrist — reportedly in a motorbike accident in his native Dominican Republic. He was on the cusp of coming back from that when his PED suspension was introduced on Aug. 12. He blamed his constructive take a look at on a cream he stated he used for ringworm.
The Padres nonetheless made it to the NL championship sequence earlier than falling to the Phillies.
He was one of many recreation’s premier sluggers from 2019 to 2021, batting .292 whereas mashing 81 homers, together with an NL-best 42 throughout the 2021 season. Nicknamed El Niño, Tatis additionally performs the sport with a aptitude that rapidly made him one of many recreation’s most recognizable and standard gamers.
“There are very few players who get this kind of notoriety for their first game of the season — and rightly so,” Padres supervisor Bob Melvin stated. “He’s made to play this game.”
The Padres had a brief workforce assembly earlier than Thursday’s recreation, formally welcoming Tatis again to the fold. Some teammates have been vital of Tatis when his suspension was introduced final summer time, however by all accounts, his return has been celebrated.
“You do some soul searching during those times,” Melvin stated. “You realize how lucky you are to be a big league player. When you come back from something like that, you’re humbled a little and appreciative. He’s been nothing but easy to deal with, easy to manage.”
Tatis’ current stint at Triple-A El Paso, which was in preparation of his huge league return, was a reminder how good he will be. He was 17 of 33 with seven homers and 15 RBIs in eight rehab video games, slashing .515/.590/1.212. Early in Tatis’ rehab stint, San Francisco Giants minor leaguer Kade McClure referred to as him a “cheater” on Twitter after permitting a mammoth house run to the suspended participant.
Tatis stated there wasn’t a lot he might do concerning the barbs.
“That’s going to come,” Tatis stated. “Everyone has freedom of expression in this country, so nothing I can do about it. I’m just going to keep playing this game and enjoy every part of it.”
The Padres hope Tatis’ return can jolt a workforce that’s had a tough April and Thursday was a very good begin. San Diego has the third-highest payroll in baseball, however has began with a 10-11 document.
Despite the PED suspension, Tatis was allowed to play throughout MLB’s spring coaching. He’s moved to the outfield to make room for Xander Bogaerts, who signed a $280 million, 11-year deal in December to play shortstop.
“It’s big, man,” Bogaerts stated of Tatis’ return earlier this week. “Time heals a lot. What I’ve seen so far is someone who wants to come in and show everyone that he’s still the real deal and what he did was a mistake and he wants to show that he’s matured from that.”
