Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PRIDE ROCK — Fernando Tatis Jr. will return to the San Diego Padres following an 80-game suspension on Thursday related to his use of a steroid, and the Triple-A team that brought in the standout during his time off had a little fun with it.
The Padres recalled Tatis from his assignment with the club's Triple-A affiliate in El Paso, Texas, after the Chihuahuas were headed on a long road trip at the start of the week.
And as most Minor League Baseball teams are apt to do, the Chihuahuas had some fun in releasing the slugger who hit .519 with a .590 on-base percentage and seven home runs in his eight-game run in El Paso.
It was initially thought that Tatis may play a game with the Single-A ball club in Lake Elsinore, California, according to ESPN, but Padres manager Bob Melvin said that was ultimately unnecessary and brought Tatis back to the clubhouse in the middle of a three-game homestead with the Atlanta Braves.
"He's in a pretty good place now," Melvin told reporters in San Diego before Monday's 2-0 loss to the Braves that dropped presumed World Series contender San Diego to 8-10 on the year.
Tatis will be eligible to return from suspension beginning with the four-game road trip to the Arizona Diamondbacks, a return from a suspension related to his use of a cream that contained the banned substance Clostebol.
Tatis previously claimed the cream was given to him to treat ringworm; but no matter, the Padres' long national nightmare of playing without Tatis is over, for the second time after last year's missed time following an offseason motorcycle accident that likely caused a broken wrist.
Yesterday's Have You Seen This?









