Fernando Tatis Jr.’s father claims mushrooms from a bad HAIRCUT were to blame for his son’s 80-game MLB steroid ban

THE father of banned MLB star Fernando Tatis Jr. has claimed a dodgy HAIRCUT was to blame for his son’s positive steroid test.

Tatis Jr., 23, was suspended for 80 games last week after violating MLB’s drug policy.

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The San Diego Padres star has tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid derivative of the natural hormone testosterone.

After just 18 months into a 14-year, $330 million MLB contract, Tatis Jr. will now miss the entire season and part of the next.

But his father Tatis Sr. claims his son is only guilty of misreading the ingredients of a steroid drug he was taking for ringworm – after a bad cut.

He told MLB insider Hector Gomez, “What includes [Tatis Jr] is a steroid that contains a spray called Trofobol.

“He contracted a fungus because of a haircut.

“His mistake was not reading the content, which apparently makes him guilty of something completely unknown.

“It was a mistake that could have been handled differently, destroying a player’s image for something so small, for a situation like this.

“It’s a disaster, not just for Tatis Jr., but for baseball as a whole.

“There are millions of fans who will stop watching baseball.”

Tatis is currently in rehab for a wrist injury and will not be paid for the duration of his 80-game ban, costing him nearly $3 million.

Since the news broke last week, the Padres have won 2-1 as they chase a WL wildcard berth.

The 6ft3 shortstop has hit 81 homers in his three seasons with San Diego.

His power on the plate will be missed as Padres fans are disappointed he isn’t working with new signing Juan Soto.

Padre’s General Manager AJ Preller said: “Obviously everyone is very disappointed.

“Someone that we have invested time and money in from an organizational perspective.”

In a statement, Tati Jr. said: “It turns out I accidentally took a medication to treat tinea that contained clostebol.

“I should have used the tools at my disposal to ensure there were no prohibited substances in what I was consuming. I missed it.”

“I have no excuses for my mistake and I would never do anything to cheat or disrespect this game that I love.”