Fernando Tatis Jr.'s Partnership With Adidas Ended After Failed PED Test
August 27, 2022
Adidas has ended its partnership with San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. following his 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, per ESPN's Alden Gonzalez.
"We believe that sport should be fair. We have a clear policy on doping and can confirm that our partnership with Fernando Tatis Jr. will not continue," an Adidas spokesperson said in a statement.
In addition to Adidas, Tatis had landed a deal with Gatorade, was the cover athlete for MLB The Show 21, and had appeared in commercials for BMW, Dairy Queen, Jack In The Box and PlayStation.
It's unclear if Gatorade has intentions to end its partnership with Tatis. It's also unclear if he'll be appearing in commercials for any brand any time soon.
Tatis tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug Clostebol and was handed an 80-game suspension last week. As a result, he will miss the remainder of the 2022 campaign, including the playoffs, and the beginning of the 2023 season while serving the suspension.
The two-time Silver Slugger said in a statement (h/t ESPN's Jeff Passan) that he took the drug unknowingly:
"It turns out that I inadvertently took a medication to treat ringworm that contained Clostebol. I should have used the resources available to me in order to ensure that no banned substances were in what I took. I failed to do so.
"I want to apologize to Peter [Seidler], AJ [Preller], the entire Padres organization, my teammates, Major League Baseball and fans everywhere for my mistake. I have no excuse for my error, and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this game I love."
The Padres signed Tatis to a 14-year, $340 million contract in February 2021 and are "highly unlikely" to contest the deal, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The franchise still has faith in him and "the strong belief in Tatis as a player apparently was the biggest factor" not to contest his contract, according to Heyman.
Tatis hadn't appeared in a single game for the Padres this season before being suspended, though he was recently on a rehab assignment with one of San Diego's minor league affiliates after recovering from wrist surgery following a reported motorcycle accident.
With Tatis sidelined, San Diego has relied on Ha-Seong Kim at shortstop. The Padres are second in the National League West with a 68-58 record and are occupying the third wild-card spot in the NL.