MLB: Fernando Tatis Jr. meets the media and apologizes

For the first time since his 80-game suspension for doping, Francisco Tatis Jr. met with the media and publicly apologized to fans and teammates. He also announced that he would undergo shoulder surgery while he was away.

“There is no one else to blame but myself. I made a mistake,” said Tatis, team general manager AJ Preller alongside him.

 » I am really sorry. I let so many people down. I lost so much love from the fans and my teammates. I failed. I’m going to remember how it feels, and I’m not going to put myself in the same position in the future. I know I have a lot of love to recover. I have a lot of work to do, it will be a very long process. I am learning and I will become more mature. »

The 23-year-old Tatis was on the verge of returning to action after suffering a wrist injury during the offseason. He had begun his rehab in the minor leagues and seemed very close to joining his Padres teammates.

Nobody wanted to confirm what operation Tatis will have on a shoulder. However, he missed several games in 2021 due to a left shoulder injury.

Tatis will be on the Padres’ restricted roster for the California team’s final 48 regular season games. All postseason games the Padres play will count toward Tatis’ 80-game suspension total. The rest of his sentence will be served at the start of the 2023 season.

The Dominican is currently in the second year of a 14-year, $340 million deal with the Padres.