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A minor league pitcher called San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. a cheater" after he allowed a home run off the suspended former All-Star on Wednesday (April 5).
Tatis, who is currently serving a suspension in relation to a positive test for a performance-enhancing substance last year, made a rehab assignment appearance for the Triple-A El Paso Chihuahuas and hit a solo home run off of Sacramento River Cats pitcher Kade McClure during an 8-5 win on Wednesday (April 5). NBC San Diego sports anchor Darnay Tripp tweeted a clip of the home run and said McClure would "be telling people for years about the time he gave up an absolute nuke to Fernando Tatis Jr."
"**Cheater hits a homerun on a rehab assignment during a steroid suspension**," McClure wrote in response to Tripp.
Tatis was suspended 80 games for violating Major League Baseball's performance enhancing drug policy effective immediately, the league announced in an official statement shared on its official website on August 12, 2022.
"The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," MLB said.
News of Tatis' violation and possible suspension was initially reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, who cited "sources familiar with the situation."
Tatis, 24, who has long been considered one of baseball's brightest rising stars, will be eligible to make his MLB return on April 20. The Dominican native missed the entire 2022 MLB season after undergoing surgery to repair a fractured scaphoid bone on March 16, 2022 and previously underwent a rehab assignment with Double-A San Antonio at the time of his suspension last year.