After Serving Ban, Fernando Tatis Jr. Went 0-for-5 in First Game
On Thursday, Fernando Tatis Jr. returned to the major leagues for the first time since October 3, 2021. The outcome was disappointing for the San Diego Padres, but it was only one game.
As the Padres’ leadoff hitter and regular right fielder since the signing of All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency last offseason, Tatis went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in his long-awaited return from an 80-game PED suspension on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
This image of Fernando Tatis Jr. is a video grab.
On Thursday, Fernando Tatis Jr. returned to the major leagues for the first time since October 3, 2021. The outcome was disappointing for the San Diego Padres, but it was only one game.
As the Padres’ leadoff hitter and regular right fielder since the signing of All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency last offseason, Tatis went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts in his long-awaited return from an 80-game PED suspension on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
At least on defence, Tatis made a notable contribution.As Tatis stepped into the batter’s box for the first time, the crowd’s reaction was expected split between boos and cheers.
Outside of San Diego, he will likely receive the same reception at other stadiums.
The Padres triumphed 7-5.
Tatis returned to the lineup for the El Paso Chihuahuas of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League following a comedically overpowering performance during his rehab assignment.
He hit.429 (17-for-33) with seven home runs, two steals, and fifteen RBIs in eight contests. There are many unanswered questions for Tatis.
Tatis had a tough road back after he was suspended for the whole 2022 season.
He was sidelined at the start of the 2017 campaign after breaking his wrist in a motorbike accident in the offseason back in his native Dominican Republic.
Although Tatis’s rehabilitation was sluggish, he seemed to make a turn for the better in August.
The ban came on August 12, thus terminating his season before it even began and casting serious question on not only his standing with the Padres but with all of baseball.
Tatis and his father alleged that a contaminated ringworm medicine led to Tatis testing positive for Clostebol, a prohibited drug.
Tatis, for whatever reason, embarked on a lengthy apology tour and used the unexpected downtime to finally get the shoulder surgery he’d been putting off since dislocating it five times in 2020/21.
After more than a year, staying away from the field, significant shoulder surgery, and a catastrophic wrist injury, all while performing at a different position than the one at which he became a star.
Tatis is finally back, and the Padres will seek to see whether he can be the same player.
