Adidas Explains Why It Ended Partnership With Fernando Tatis Jr.

The Padres shortstop will miss the rest of the season after MLB suspended him.

Fernando Tatis Jr.’s suspension for violating MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program continues to cost him in more ways than one.

Most recently, Adidas announced that it is dropping Tatis Jr. as a partner because the Padres shortstop tested positive for a performance enhancing drug.

“We believe that sport should be fair,” Adidas said in a statement, via ESPN’s Alden González. “We have a clear policy on doping and can confirm that our partnership with Fernando Tatis Jr. will not continue.”

MLB announced that Tatis Jr. is suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Clostebol, a drug the league has banned. The Padres shortstop initially said he accidentally took the drug as a treatment for ringworm. However, he still apologized and put all the blame on himself.

“There is no one else to blame but myself. I made a mistake,” Tatis said. “I’m truly sorry. I have let so many people down. I have lost so much love from people. I have failed. I’m going to remember what this feels like, and I’m not going to put myself in this position ever again. I know I have a lot of love that I have to recover. I have a lot of work to do, it will be a very long process. I’m learning, I’m maturing.”

Tatis is in the second year of a 14-year, $340 million contract he signed with the Padres in 2021. He missed the first half of the season after requiring wrist surgery caused by a motorcycle accident in the offseason.

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