Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez isn’t willing to pile on when it comes to the 80-game suspension of San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr., who was docked the hefty penalty for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs.
In fact, Martinez is placing the blame on the Padres organization.
“Since he got hurt, San Diego has been on top of him, and this is where I have to give him a pass, because San Diego should have known what this kid is putting in his body. But, whether it was [ringworm, whether it was flu, or whatever he put in his body, he is still valuable to the organization,” Martinez said, on MLB Leadoff on TBS.
To be fair, Martinez was also critical of Tatis Jr. earlier in the show, so there are certainly two sides of opinion in play here.
Padres fans, baseball fans, and analysts alike have all criticized Tatis Jr. for the suspension, and Tatis’ family has come to his defense as well. Regardless, nothing changes to immense impact of his 80-game absence, especially as the Padres hope for a run to the World Series.
