Fernando Tatis Jr. sees support from his veteran teammate with PED history before return to the fold

Fernando Tatis Jr. sees love and support from unexpected corners upon his impending return to the fold after an 80-game PED suspension.

Tatis Jr. is due to be announced as the leadoff hitter for the Padres for the first time since the last game of the 2021 season. Irrespective of his involvement with performance enhancements, Tatis Jr.'s teammates are raring to see him back on the roster.

Fellow Dominican Nelson Cruz lent his support to the former tainted star. Nelson, a former user of PEDs too, knows exactly what is coming Tatis's way, and assured him that he has the backing of his team no matter what.

“We’re here to support him, we’re here to embrace him, we’re going to show our love and we’re going to be behind him no matter what happens,” Cruz said.

Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove, who was vocal about calling Tatis out at the time, backed his teammates to come good this season in a recent interview.

"Looks great. He’s anxious. His energy is really high, he’s being a good teammate down there, he’s engaged. All the things that you want to see from him."

Xander Bogaerts, who took Tatis' spot in December, termed his comeback 'big' and expects him to come back strong.

“It’s big, man. Time heals a lot. What I’ve seen so far is someone who wants to come in and show everyone that he’s still the real deal and what he did was a mistake and he wants to show that he’s matured from that,” Bogaerts said.

In Tatis Jr., the San Diego Padres will be getting back the player who was an All-Star at shortstop in 2021, when he led the NL with 42 homers.

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Fernando Tatis Jr. returns after an 80-game suspension

Fernando Tatis Jr., who tested positive for drugs, is all set to return by the end of this week in a big clash against the Atlanta Braves.

It seems Tatis can't wait to make a comeback as he had a monster game on Thursday night on his minor league rehab assignment.

Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres hits a two-run double during the fifth inning of the Spring Training Game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on March 11, 2023, in Peoria, Arizona.

He spent time with the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas because the Padres wanted the young player to have a feel for the game before his big return.