Fernando Tatis Jr. goes 0-for-5 in 1st game back from PED suspension
Fernando Tatis Jr. played in the big leagues for the first time since Oct. 3, 2021, on Thursday. It didn't go the way the San Diego Padres hoped, but it was also just one game.
Making his long-awaited return from his 80-game PED suspension on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Tatis went 0-for-5 with two strikeouts while batting leadoff and playing right field, his new regular position after the Padres signed All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts in free agency last offseason.
Tatis at least chipped in a defensive highlight.
El Niño tracks it down! 🌟@Padres | #BringTheGoldpic.twitter.com/HELrZlBdNM
— Bally Sports San Diego (@BallySportsSD) April 21, 2023
The reception was predictably mixed as Tatis entered the batter's box for the first time, with audible boos and cheers. He can probably expect a similar reaction in any ballpark outside San Diego for the foreseeable future.
Fernando Tatis Jr. received a mixed reception from the Arizona crowd in his first at-bat.
He struck out swinging. pic.twitter.com/lfCtOOoWwW— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 21, 2023
The Padres won the game 7-5.
Tatis made his return after a comically dominant showing in his rehab assignment with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas. In eight games, he went 17-for-33 with seven homers, two stolen bases and 15 RBIs.
Tatis still has plenty of questions to answer
It was a long journey back for Tatis, who missed the entire 2022 season for reasons beyond the suspension. He began last season on the injured list due to a fractured wrist reportedly sustained in an offseason motorcycle accident while he was home in the Dominican Republic.
Tatis' recovery was slow, but he finally appeared to turn a corner in August. He was on the verge of a return to MLB when the suspension hit Aug. 12, ending his season before it began and throwing his status with not just the Padres but also all of baseball into doubt.
Tatis tested positive for Clostebol, a banned substance that he and his father claimed came from a tainted ringworm medication. Whatever the explanation, Tatis went on an extended apology tour and decided to use the unplanned time off to undergo a long-needed shoulder surgery, having dislocated the shoulder five times in 2021.
Now Tatis is back, and the Padres will look to see if he can be the same player after more than a year away from the field, a major shoulder surgery and a serious wrist injury, all while playing a different position than the one at which he became a star.
