San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin addressed Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 80-game suspension before Saturday’s game against the Washington Nationals. Speaking to reporters, Melvin said Tatis “feels remorseful” about the situation when the two spoke on the phone. Major League Baseball announced Friday that Tatis was suspended for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The 23-year-old shortstop tested positive for the anabolic Clostebol. In a statement released after his suspension was announced, Tatis said he “accidentally took a medicine to treat ringworm” that contained the banned substance. Tatis initially appealed the positive test before withdrawing it to accept his suspension. The ban ensures he won’t play at all in 2022. The former All-Star began a rehab assignment with the Padres’ Double-A affiliate on Sunday in anticipation of playing in the big leagues this season. He underwent wrist surgery in March to repair injuries he may have sustained in a motorcycle accident in December. Many Padres players stressed that the team needed to move on after Tatis’ suspension as they chased a National League playoff spot. “This is the second time we’ve been disappointed with him. You hope he grows and learns from this and learns that it’s not just about him right now,” pitcher Mike Clevinger told reporters Friday. “I think we’ll do just fine. Look at this club. We really don’t need anybody else. It would be nice to have somebody else, but we don’t need anybody else. We’ve got everything we need right here.” Tatis has had injury issues throughout his career that have made him an unstable presence in San Diego’s lineup. The Dominican star missed 78 games as a rookie in 2019 with a back injury. He still finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting after posting a .969 OPS in 334 at-bats. Shoulder problems caused Tatis to miss 32 games in 2021, but he managed to lead the NL with 42 homers. He finished in the top four in NL MVP voting in each of the past two seasons. Before the start of last season, the Padres signed Tatis to a 14-year, $340 million contract extension. The deal is the largest in MLB history. General manager AJ Preller added significant help to the Padres lineup before the trade deadline. The team acquired Juan Soto and Josh Bell from the Nationals in exchange for five players. San Diego had success in 2022 without Tatis available to play. The team enters Saturday with a 64-51 record, two games ahead of the Milwaukee Brewers for the final NL playoff spot.
