Manny Machado thinks that past steroid use should not affect Fernando Tatis Jr. All-Star prospects

Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. were expected to comprise the very core of the San Diego Padres this season. While both men have put forth strong seasons, neither one will be representing their team at the upcoming MLB All-Star game.

Machado, who finished second in MVP voting last season, re-signed with the Padres in the offseason. The 30-year-old's 11-year, $350 million deal makes him the highest-paid Padre of all time.

Meanwhile, despite leading the NL in home runs with 42 of them in 2021, Fernando Tatis Jr. was sidelined for the entirety of the 2022 campaign. The Dominican was originally sidelined from an offseason injury, only to be suspended for 80 games in August for testing positive for steroids.

"Fernando Tatis Jr is so good. Some might even say he’s an All-Star talent." - Ben Verlander

Ahead of the 2023 season, San Diego Padres fans had big hopes. Machado would be eager to prove his contract, while Tatis Jr. would be hungry after his year-long hiatus from the MLB.

So far this season, Machado is hitting .245/.286/.408 with 11 home runs and 37 RBIs. Fernando Tatis Jr., meanwhile, has slashed .286/.346/.535 with 16 home runs and 44 RBIs. Despite relatively strong seasons, neither was selected on the NL All-Star team. While Manny Machado seems accepting of his own omision, he belives his teammate Tatis should certainly have gone.

"'It's some BS that he's not there, but we all know that there's politics in this. It's not the right thing to do.' Here's what Manny Machado had to say about Fernando Tatis Jr. being left off the National League All-Star team." - Darnay Tripp

Following his team's 10-3 win against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night, Manny Machado pulled no punches when he offered his opinion on the All-Star game. According to Machado, a six-time All-Star, Fernando Tatis Jr. being left off of the team is nothing but "politics."

Even though Tatis Jr. was adamant that he was not using PEDs, and that the positive result came by virtue of medicine he was taking, the league upheld his lenghty suspension.

Many Padres fans are taking solace in Machado's endorsement of Tatis Jr. Over the previous weeks, several reports have emerged of internal issues within the Padres locker room, and Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. have both been named as potential instigators.

Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. have bigger worries than All-Star game

With a record of 39-46, the Padres now sit 11 games behind the Arizona Diamondbacks for the top spot in the NL West. While both probably should have gone to T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners for All-Star action, there are more pressing issues to take care of at Petco Park.