Fernando Tatis Jr. has become a hot topic in Major League Baseball over the last couple of days. Notably, the San Diego Padres star slugger is facing an 80-game ban from MLB for using PEDs (performance-enhancing drugs).

When this news come out, it was a shock for everyone, including the Padres camp and Tatis’ teammates. Fernando Tatis Jr. has been one of the best young players in the league for the last couple of years. And being a core player of the Padres, Tatis brings extra strength to the NL side.

However, the Padres have been playing the 2022 MLB season without him because of his wrist injury. And despite not having Tatis by their side, the Padres have done a wonderful job this season. Recently, when MLB suspended Tatis for PED usage, the Padres players Manny Machado and Mike Clevinger heavily criticized the 23-year-old shortstop for his mistake.

Mike Clevinger and Manny Machado blast over teammate Fernando Tatis Jr.

It is not a secret that MLB takes a strict policy against the usage of PEDs. And despite knowing all that, Fernando Tatis Jr. consumed the banned substance. The Padres were hopeful to get their marquee player before the postseason games. But not anymore.

Meanwhile, the Padres pitcher, Mike Clevinger, and slugger, Manny Machado are not worried about Tatis’ absence. The two criticized Tatis for being irresponsible and indirectly said they will not need his service for the upcoming games.

READ MORE: Can the San Diego Padres Salvage a Less Than Stellar 2022 Season Following Surprise PED Suspension of Star Slugger Fernando Tatis Jr.?

“Very disappointed! This is the second time we’ve been very disappointed with him,” Clevinger said. “You hope he grows up and learns from this and learns that it’s about more than just him right now. It would be nice to have somebody else, but we don’t need anybody else. We’ve got everyone we need right here.”

“He hasn’t been part of the team all year,” Machado said. “We’ve gotten to this point so far without him. We were waiting to get him back and hopefully be a spark plug for the team.”

Notably, Fernando Tatis Jr. was already recovering from an injury and did not play a single game this season. And now, apart from the 2022 MLB season, he will also miss several games of the next season. Now that the Padres have Juan Soto and Josh Bell by their side, they might not feel his absence.

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Do you think Tatis’ absence will affect the Padres’ results in the post-season games?