Fernando Tatis Jr. (24, San Diego Padres), who returned after the suspension was lifted, stood in front of the home fans.
Tatis Jr. started as the right fielder in the 2023 Major League Cincinnati Reds home game held at Petco Park in San Diego, California on the 2nd (Korean time) and played an active role with 3 hits and 1 point in 5 at-bats.
Tatis Jr.안전놀이터, who entered the big leagues in 2019, has grown into a representative star of San Diego, recording more than 20 home runs with a .300 batting average from his first season. And in 2021, he hit 42 home runs and became the National League home run king. In particular, ahead of the 2021 season, a contract period of 14 years and 340 million dollars (approximately 440 billion won) was signed.
However, Tatis Jr. had to take the entire season off last year. He underwent wrist surgery before the opening ceremony, and was later caught taking a banned substance and was suspended for 80 games by the MLB Secretariat.
This punishment lasted until the beginning of this season, and was lifted after the game against the Atlanta Braves on the 20th of last month. He started the next day, but not at Petco Park, his home stadium.
Afterwards, he digested 8 games and finally returned home.
San Diego home fans cheered as the players were introduced one by one before the game. According to MLB.com, especially when Tatis Jr. was introduced, he was greeted with a standing ovation. When he stood in right field, fans in the outfield cheered. Then Tatis Jr. took off his hat and bowed his head in greeting.
Tatis Jr., who started the game like that, announced the start with an infield hit in the first at-bat in the bottom of the first inning. Later, when Soto’s timely double hit, he stepped on the home base and scored.
He completed the multi-hit in his second at-bat in the second inning. In the second out, Tatis Jr. hit the first pitch and made a left-handed hit. In the third at-bat in the 4th inning, Tatis Jr., who withdrew from the right fielder’s fly ball and the pitcher’s grounder in the 4th at-bat in the 6th inning, made a three-hit game by hitting left-handed hits on first and second base safely in the eighth inning.
He also shone on defense. In the top of the 8th inning, when the team was leading 6-3, Ramos caught the ball with a jump catch. It was a ball that could have split the middle right, but Tatis Jr. quickly followed and caught it.
After the match, Tatis Jr. said, “It’s good just to play in front of the fans. It was really nice to come back. I respect the fans.” “I looked back.
