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Fernando Tatis Jr. joins Mike Trout in calling out Rob Manfred, MLB

By Gabrielle Starr

Sep 17, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) walks off the field after the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2021; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) walks off the field after the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports /
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San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. stood in solidarity with Mike Trout this week when he criticized Rob Manfred, MLB over season delay

Add San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. to the long list of Major League Baseball players who have had enough of the league’s antics.

On Tuesday, after the Players’ Union rejected MLB’s ‘best offer,’ the league made good on their threats and officially delayed the 2022 season by canceling two series (which they maintain will not be made up at a later date). The next day, Tatis’ SoCal rival Mike Trout, from just up the I-5 in Anaheim, made a rare statement, which Tatis reposted to his Instagram.

The Padres wunderkind didn’t add any words of his own, just two emojis, a crown, and the shouting emoji, typically used to imply strong agreement.

Tatis also retweeted Trout’s Twitter version and was among the players who retweeted Jeff Passan on Tuesday, right before Manfred officially announced that the season would be delayed by two series.

Take a peek at Tatis’ ‘Likes’ tab on Twitter, and it’s full of other tacit endorsements:

On the more humorous end of the spectrum was his ‘Like’ of the announcement that umpire Joe West had officially retired.

Tatis made his MLB debut on Opening Day 2019, meaning that two of his first four seasons will be truncated due to outside circumstances. In 2020, he played 59 of 60 MLB games; this year, it remains to be seen how much – or how little – baseball we will get.

The 23-year-old shortstop/outfielder is coming off his first All-Star season, in which he led the National League with 42 home runs, won his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award, and finished third in NL MVP voting, behind runner-up Juan Soto and winner Bryce Harper. Tatis set new career bests in several offensive metrics, including slugging percentage, and OPS. And signed to a 14-year deal through 2034, he’s just getting started.

Tatis and Trout are two of the players whom fans are mourning the most during this lockout, as every day without baseball is another day of their prime gone forever.

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