San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. started his rehab assignment this week as he officially begins his return from an 80-game suspension for a positive PED test.
The second game of that stint with Triple-A El Paso was Wednesday, and Tatis looked to be in top form, launching an absolute bomb off pitcher Kade McClure of the San Francisco Giants affiliate in Sacramento. But don’t think McClure considered it some sort of badge of honor.
The 27-year-old made clear his feelings about Tatis on Twitter, describing the moment as “cheater hits a homerun on rehab assignment during a steroid suspension.”
Here’s a look at the home run:
Tatis took this Sacramento River Cats pitcher into the stratosphere pic.twitter.com/wXmH2V9AAc
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) April 6, 2023
And here’s McClure’s response:
**cheater hits a homerun on a rehab assignment during a steroid suspension** https://t.co/1gTgo9Pa8a
— Kade McClure (@kademcc) April 6, 2023
Uhhhh, yeah, sure. I guess that’s an accurate description.
It also sounds a little salty for an older player who’s still trying to reach a level of the sport Tatis has been and succeeded.
Judging by the replies, that tweet probably would have been better left in the drafts.