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San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. has been suspended 80 games for violating Major League Baseball's performance enhancing drug policy effective immediately, the league announced in an official statement shared on its official website Friday (August 12).
"The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," MLB said.
News of Tatis' violation and possible suspension was initially reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, who cited "sources familiar with the situation."
Tatis, 23, has long been considered one of baseball's brightest rising stars, but has missed the entire 2022 MLB season after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured scaphoid bone on March 16.
The Dominican native recently began his rehab assignment with Double-A San Antonio and was expected to soon return to the Padres as the team currently holds the final National League Wild Card spot and had recently acquired All-Star Juan Soto in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Nationals.
San Diego has, however, gone 3-5 in the eight games since Soto made his debut.
Tatis hit for a career-best 42 home runs in 2021, which led all National League players and earned his first All-Star appearance.
The 23-year-old won the Silver Slugger Award and was named to the All-MLB First-Team during each of the past two seasons.