Fernando Tatis Jr. 'Devastated' by PED Suspension, Padres' Jurickson Profar Says

San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. reportedly has not yet addressed his teammates since receiving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Outfielder Jurickson Profar, one of Tatis' closest friends on the team, told ESPN's Aiden Gonzalez that the two of them have spoken "every day," and he offered some insight into Tatis' state of mind.

"He's devastated," Profar said Thursday. "He feels really bad."

Tatis has been unable to take the field in the 2022 season. He had been working his way back from a broken wrist suffered during an offseason motorcycle accident when MLB announced his suspension. The 23-year-old was signed to a historic 14-year, $340 million contract extension in February 2021.

Gonzalez reported that Tatis had a face-to-face meeting with Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller on Thursday, and he is scheduled to meet with Padres chairman Peter Seidler over the weekend. There was an expectation that Tatis would address his teammates before the end of the week, but Padres manager Bob Melvin said Thursday there hasn't been a finalized plan on that front.

Despite the criticism the situation has warranted, Tatis' teammates are open to hearing from him.

"We just wanna hear him be genuine and honest in here," Padres outfielder Wil Myers said. "What happens in here stays in here. As far as the trust being broken--I think that's obviously true in the respect of what happened, but that's not to say that from a teammate perspective that can't be won back."

Said Joe Musgrove, who is considered one of the leaders on the team: "A lot of things between now and then will dictate that. He's our teammate still, and he's gonna be in our clubhouse, so we're gonna have to find a way to get on the same page and get past this. I don't know what that's gonna look like yet, but as the time comes it'll be a little clearer."

Profar said he fully supports his friend, telling Gonzalez, "You make one mistake and everyone wants to crucify you. But not me. I'm there to support him and get him through this and get him back on the field whenever he's eligible to come back and show the world what kind of player he is again."

When asked if his teammates share his feelings, Profar responded, "I don't know."