Alex Rodriguez was “heartbroken” when he heard of Fernando Tatis Jr.’s 80-game suspension on Friday, due to a positive test result from a performance-enhancing substance.
“I wasn’t angry. I was heartbroken because to make a mistake at 22 or 23 years old that’s going to affect you for maybe 60 years,” Rodriguez told Michael Kay during their alternate ESPN broadcast of Sunday’s Yankees-Red Sox game. “I made that mistake. I was more in my late 30s, and it was out of desperation to get back on the field and play.”
Rodriguez was referring to his own 162-game suspension in 2014.
The Yankees legend never failed a PED test, but he did admit to using PEDs during his time with the Rangers, and was subsequently suspended following MLB’s investigation into Biogenesis in August 2013.
Rodriguez was originally suspended 211 games, though he got it reduced to 162 games through appeal. It was the longest suspension in MLB history at the time.
“I was hoping a lot of these young kids learn from my debacle and my mistakes,” Rodriguez said. “I have gone to the lowest ground, I have gone to ground zero.”
Rodriguez said he won’t reach out to the Padres All-Star shortstop, though he is “always available to help.”
Padres manager Bob Melvin said he reached out to Tatis via phone on Saturday, and that the player “feels remorseful.” He would not go into further detail about their “private conversation.”
Tatis, who has finished in the top four in the NL MVP voting twice, is in the second year of his 14-year, $340 million contract extension.
Tatis underwent surgery on a broken left wrist in mid-March after a motorcycle accident. He was expected to join the Padres as the team pushed for a World Series, following the trade deadline acquisitions of Juan Soto and Josh Hader. San Diego currently has the second NL wild-card spot with a 64-52 record.