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The Padres expected to have a potent trio of Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and newly acquired outfielder Juan Soto atop the lineup for the stretch run and into October. On Friday afternoon, a recent development confirmed that the Padres dream lineup will remain just that, a dream. 

Tatis has been suspended for performance enhancing drug use for 80 games. The suspension will extend through the rest of the season, and beyond. ESPN's Jeff Passan was the first to report.

"BREAKING: Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. violated Major League Baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy and is facing a suspension, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN."

By all accounts, it's a surprising development. Tatis has been on the shelf for the entire season thus far due to wrist injury he suffered this past offseason while riding a motorcycle. 

After the fact, Tatis expressed his remorse for the positive test for PEDs and blamed the test result on the use of a medication to treat ringworm. (quotes via Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post).

"Tatis said he accidentally treated ringworm with a medication that contained the steroid for which he tested positive.

'I should have used the resources available to me in order to ensure that no banned substances were in what I took. I failed to do so.'"

Last season, Tatis posted a .975 OPS, led the National League in home runs (42), and logged 25 stolen bases.  

Entering play on Friday, the Padres are 16 games behind the Dodgers for first place in the NL West.

San Diego is still high likely to make the playoffs, especially after the additions of closer Josh Hader, superstar Juan Soto, the upstart Brandon Drury, and the switch-hitting Josh Bell, but they'll have to do it all without arguably the best offensive shortstop in the the entire league.