Fernando Tatis Jr Apologizes In First Press Conference Since PED Suspension

San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. spoke to the media Tuesday for the first time since his suspension for testing positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Tatis opened by saying he was "truly sorry" and "really sorry" and that he's "let so many people down."

He also described that he's "failed" the front office, as well as all of the Padres fans in the city and the country, before repeating that he was "really sorry."

A report also acknowledged that it's "going to be a very long process:"

“I’m going to remember how this feels, and I’m not going to put myself in this position ever again. I know I have a lot of love I have to gain back. I have a lot of work to do, it’s going to be a very long process," Tatis Jr. said, adding that he knows he has to grow in maturity.

Tatis also took responsibility for the positive test, saying he had no one to blame but himself and that he'd "made a mistake" and "regretted" it.

He apparently started taking a treatment from the Dominic Republic in June, although the initial statement from Tatis on his treatment was seemingly inaccurate:

He also acknowledged that he's had a lot of "tough love" from teammates, and that he's gone to them for "help and accountability:"

The other major announcement from his press conference was that he would be undergoing shoulder surgery, which was suggested as the best course of action weeks ago by OutKick's Dr. David Chao.

It's refreshing to see Fernando Tatis finally accept some responsibility for his actions; the excuse that was brought up in the statement never really made sense as a realistic explanation.

His initial handling of the situation made it abundantly clear has a significant amount of work and maturing to do to regain the trust of the organization, Padres fans, and baseball fans as a whole.

Fernando Tatis finally addressed the media about his PED suspension. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)

Bizarrely, a number of former players like David Ortiz and Pedro Martinez defended him or blamed the organization instead of Tatis himself.

He's an incredibly wealthy and successful professional athlete with no one to blame for his actions but himself.

This will also, of course, be a long-lasting stain on his legacy as a baseball player and could potentially jeopardize his chances of making the Hall of Fame. That is, if he's able to sustain his success for the rest of his career.

Regardless, he had to make an appearance and publicly apologize for the damage he's caused, so at the very least this was a positive and necessary step forward.