MLB insider cites 'Dairy Queen curse' as the reason behind struggling superstars Bryce Harper, Fernando Tatis Jr. & Tim Anderson

Rumor has it there is a curse in Major League Baseball, but what does Dairy Queen have to do with it? There are four stars in the MLB who are currently struggling badly, and they all have one thing in common.

"The Curse of Dairy Queen? They selected 4 players this season to market their ice cream and sandwiches: Bryce Harper: Broken thumb, out since June 26. Tim Anderson: Broken finger, out 6 weeks. Cody Bellinger: Hitting .210 with 668 OPS. Fernando Tatis: Suspended for PED use." - Bob Nightengale

All four of these stars have been brand ambassadors for the popular Dairy Queen ice cream and fast food. Since working with DC, however, something unfortunate has happened to all of them. Whether it be injuries, poor performance, or even suspension, nothing good has happened. Can it be just a coincidence?

Which players are affected by the Dairy Queen curse?

Cody Bellinger and Fernando Tatis Jr. featured in a Dairy Queen ad

Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox and Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies have both had great starts to the season. However, they have seen time away from the field due to injury.

Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks nothing like his former self this season, vastly underperforming expectations. San Diego Padres rising superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. might have it the worst, as he is now suspended for the rest of the season.

Curses have been spectulated in other sports recently, such as the Madden cover curse in the NFL. This is where a player who is featured on the Madden video game cover has something tragic happen to them shortly after. Let's look into this ice cream curse in Major League Baseball.

Tim Anderson and Bryce Harper cannot stay on the field this season

Both Anderson and Harper are having All-Star caliber seasons. Both were named to the All-Star Game this year. This season, Anderson is batting .301 with 100 hits. However, he has played in just 79 games, thus missing a total of 30+ games.

"BREAKING: Tim Anderson will miss 4-6 weeks with a torn ligament in his hand" - White Sox Talk

Bryce Harper is in a similar situation, having played in just 64 games this season. During this time, however, Harper has batted .318 with an OPS just shy of 1.000. If not for injury, he would be on pace for yet another MVP-type season.

Cody Bellinger appears to be a shell of his former self

San Diego Padres v Los Angeles Dodgers

The 2019 National League MVP Cody Bellinger is long behind us, as it seems he is not that person anymore. In 2019, Bellinger hit .305 with 47 home runs and a 1.035 OPS. He also won a Gold Glove. This season, however, he is batting a mere .210 with just a .673 OPS. He also has 112 strikeouts, which places him in the top 20 in the league despite having fewer at-bats than others on the list.

Fernando Tatis Jr.'s PED suspension

Chicago Cubs v San Diego Padres

Perhaps the most shocking aspect of this Dairy Queen curse is that rising superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. just recieved an 80-game suspension for use of PEDs. Tatis has yet to play a game this season, as he was recovering from injury. He'll now miss the remainder of this season as well as the first several games of 2023.

"BREAKING: Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. violated Major League Baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy and is facing a suspension, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN." - Jeff Passan

This is a terrible look for Major League Baseball that somebody so young and so good would indulge in steroid use.

Could the Dairy Queen curse be a real thing?

It is a major coincidence that the four players involved with the MLB Dairy Queen ad campaign have all been negatively affected this season. We will never know if the Dairy Queen affiliation was the actual cause of everyone's struggles. However, it is fun to spectulate that it could be a possibility.