San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Pitcher deletes tweet after allowing home run to ‘cheater’ Fernando Tatis Jr.

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Steve DelVecchio | Last updated 4/7/23

Fernando Tatis Jr. blasted a home run during a minor league game Wednesday night, and the pitcher who gave up the moon shot is apparently not a big fan of the San Diego Padres star.

Tatis is not eligible to return from his suspension for PED use until April 20, so he is playing with the El Paso Chihuahuas, which is the Padres’ Triple-A affiliate. He hit a towering homer off of San Francisco Giants prospect Kade McClure in the fifth inning. Darnay Tripp of NBC 7 in San Diego remarked on Twitter that McClure “will be telling people for years about the time he gave up an absolute nuke to Fernando Tatis Jr.”

McClure made it clear he was not star-struck. He replied to Tripp in a tweet that has since been deleted:

Kade McClure called Fernando Tatis Jr. a “cheater” after he gave up a home run to him in Triple A: https://t.co/bZu3cK412U pic.twitter.com/9virEbtF4C

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 6, 2023

“**cheater hits a homerun on a rehab assignment during a steroid suspension**,” McClure wrote.

Tatis even capped off the home run with his signature little pause before rounding third base. That probably did not sit well with McClure.

Tatis is serving an 80-game suspension after he tested positive for Clostebol, which is a banned steroid. Many people feel MLB should not allow players to play in minor league games before their suspensions are up. Judging by the way fans reacted to Tatis’ homer, it seems like some in the ballpark agree with that opinion.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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