The father of San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. says that his son’s suspension for 80-games by the league after he violated Major League Baseball’s drug policy because of a steroid that was contained within a ringworm medication is “a catastrophe”.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Gonzalez, Tatis Sr., who played in the major in a career that spanned 11 seasons, spoke about the suspension during an appearance on “The Midday Show” in his native Dominican Republic on Monday.
“I don’t think there was reason to destroy the image of a player over something as minor as that,” he said during the appearance.
“This is a catastrophe what has taken place, not just for Jr., but for all of baseball. There are millions of fans who are gonna stop watching baseball now. It’s a total disappointment for Dominican fans, fans throughout the world, for something so insignificant that wasn’t worth it. It’s a topical. What came out positive in Jr.’s body is something that doesn’t give you strength, first of all, doesn’t amplify your [weight-training] regimen, that’s second, doesn’t have any testosterone, that’s third, doesn’t contain absolutely anything that would give you an edge in the game. What has occurred is a catastrophe for baseball.”
Tatis Jr., 23, inked a 14-year, $340 million extension with the Padres back in February 2021, but since then the organization has had some concerns regarding his reliability, and perhaps maturity, with general manager A.J. Preller alluding to concerns with trust while speaking with reported last week in Washington, D.C.
According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, Tatis plans to meet with Preller on Thursday, plans to address the team as a whole and meet separately with Padres chairman Peter Seidler at an undetermined time.
“There’s something that nobody will ever be able to take away: the grace with which Fernando plays the game,” Tatis Sr. said. “There’s no human being who will ever be able to take that away.”
