San Diego Padres outfielder Fernando Tatis Jr. expects to get heckled at every away game this season. It was inevitable after he tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug, Clostebol, last season and served an 80-game suspension.
But if Phillies fans wanted to get in Tatis’ head, they should have worked on their material. He seemed to enjoy the heckling.
During a video review in Sunday’s game between the Padres and Phillies, Tatis took a seat in right field at Citizens Bank Park, and that was when the Phillies fans let Tatis hear it with a “steroids!” chant. Rather than ignoring the chant or reacting in a negative way, Tatis had some fun with the heckling.
This dude fr love himðŸ˜ðŸ˜‚#Padres @tatis_jr pic.twitter.com/RohhczibYv
— CrisOnDeck (@CristianTdlc2) July 18, 2023
Video hit TikTok this weekend that showed Tatis playing the role of conductor to the chants and eventually urging the Phillies fans to get louder with the heckles.
By that point, Tatis had probably heard the chant in all 39 away games he’s played in. So why not go along with it? It’s going to follow him the rest of the season after all.
The chants stopped when the replay review ended, and the Phillies went on to win in 12 innings.