"I mean he sank himself" "Cheaters should not be the face of baseball" - MLB world lashes out at Dominican DH for his statement on Fernando Tatis Jr.'s suspension

Shocking news came out Friday involving San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. testing positive for PEDs. Due to this, the All-Star shortstop will be suspended for 80 games effective immediately. This means we will not see Tatis in a baseball uniform for the rest of the season.

The news is rather unfortunate for the Padres organization and their fans. San Diego made a splash at the trade deadline, acquiring the likes of All-Star outfielder; Juan Soto. Tatis was medically cleared to start swinging the bat again and was just starting his rehab stint in the minor leagues. This is unfortunate for San Diego fans. They were looking forward to the pair of them teaming up for a deep postseason run.

As news of the suspension broke, players and fans took to social media to voice their opinions.

Former MLB slugger Edwin Encarnacion suggested that Major League Baseball did this to the star deliberately. He went on to argue that he believes that if this was another player, the MLB might cover it up. These are pretty strong opinions from someone who has played in the MLB.

While there could be some truth to what Encarnacion said, many fans believe that the Padres shortstop did this to himself.

It's hard to argue that the MLB would sabotage one of their young stars. The game of baseball is better if the All-Star shortstop is playing. There's not much the MLB can get out of suspending someone they have actively promoted as the face of baseball.

Having been the face of baseball, it is no surprise that many people are upset with Tatis Jr.

However, some fans are questioning whether the MLB has covered up any PED suspensions in the past.

Can Fernando Tatis Jr. Rebuild his legacy?

It will be interesting to see if he will be able to rebuild his legacy after he serves his suspension. He is relatively young and has plenty of baseball left in him. If he is to get popped for PEDs, it's better to do it while he's young.

If he can come back and perform the way he has been, there is no question that he can build back his legacy. No one mentions Frankie Montas, who was given an 80-game suspension back in 2019. As long as Tatis can wow the fans, he will have no problem winning back their praise.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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