ARLINGTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 17: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres celebrates after hitting a grand slam against the Texas Rangers in the top of the eighth inning at Globe Life Field on August 17, 2020 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
The San Diego Padres were scheduled to do a Fernando Tatis Jr. bobblehead giveaway. on September 7.
But in light of recent events, the team has changed the raffle to include a Juan Soto City Connect jersey, according to Padres insider Kevin Acee.
The world of MLB took to Twitter to react to this news.
“Part of me wants to laugh, the other part wants to cry,” one fan wrote.
“I notice some aggravation from the Fathers,” added another.
“Soto takes over,” said another.
“How about a pez dispenser that comes out PED?” suggested another.
Tatis received an 80-game suspension Friday after testing positive for league-banned PEDs, ruling him out for the remainder of the Padres’ 2022 season.
The suspension came just before the All-Star returned from a season-long left wrist injury. He claims he unknowingly took the illegal substance in the form of ringwork medication.
Tatis signed a 14-year, $340 million extension with the Padres in February 2021. The 23-year-old’s recent injury and disciplinary issues have raised some serious questions about his reliability and relationship with the San Diego franchise .
Soto was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Nationals before this year’s trade deadline. The Padres sit in second place in the NL West with a 65-53 record on the year.