Fernando Tatis Jr. makes his return to the San Diego Padres as a marked man: "Let’s welcome back the cheater"

Fernando Tatis Jr. burst into the MLB, lofting a league-leading 42 home runs in 2021, his first full season on an MLB roster.

It wasn't long before his team, the San Diego Padres, and their loyal fanbase came to believe that they had a generational talent on their hands. The team soon signed the 22-year old Dominican to a mammoth 14-year deal worth $340 million.

But everything came to a crashing halt in the second half of 2021. Fernando Tatis Jr., who had already missed the first half of the season on account of an offseason injury, tested positive for steroids and was handed a stiff 80-game ban by the MLB.

"It’s been 1.5 years since we’ve seen Fernando Tatis Jr. play a meaningful baseball game for the San Diego Padres. Tomorrow is going to be better than Christmas" - Devine Sports Gospel

Tatis Jr. is set to make his return to the Padres in their April 20 contest against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Despite it being the first time that the young stud will take the field since September 2021, fans have a very different opinion of him due to recent events.

Initially, Tatis Jr. vehemently denied the allegations and claimed that the substance was contained in a medication for cold-like symptoms. The ban, however, was upheld.

After the Padres made it all the way to the 2022 NLCS without Tatis, fans began to think that maybe the young slugger was not as integral as originally thought.

The Padres made some key offseason moves, signing former Boston Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts (on a 11-year deal), as well as extending MVP contender Manny Machado.

Fernando Tatis Jr. needs to prove that he can play clean

San Diego Padres manager Bob Melvin spoke very highly of Tatis and his recovery during spring training. Tatis Jr. has also spent the last number of days with the El Paso Chihuahuas, the Triple-A affiliate of the Padres, where he hit .515 with 7 home runs in eight games.

It's always a shame when a young player, particularly a talented one like Tatis, gets linked to PEDs early in their career.

Fortunately for Fernando Tatis Jr., he is only 24, and has plenty of time to prove that he is as good as fans initially believed that he was.