Major League Baseball suspended Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte for 80 games after he tested positive for nandrolone, one of the same anabolic steroids that got Barry Bonds in trouble last decade.
Pirates OF Starling Marte suspended 80 games without pay after testing positive for Nandrolone, a performance-enhancing substance.
— MLB (@MLB) April 18, 2017Marte’s suspension comes as a blow to the Pirates, for whom Marte has become a standout. Following a 2016 season that saw him make his first All-Star Game appearance, the 28-year-old got his 2017 season off to a promising start as well, hitting two home runs and batting in seven RBI in 13 games.
“We are disappointed that Starling put himself, his teammates and the organization in this position,” Pirates President Frank Coonelly said in a statement posted to social media Tuesday. “We will continue to fight for the division title with the men who are here and will look forward to getting starling back after the all-star break.”
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Coonelly added he and the rest of the Pirates organization “fully support MLB’s joint drug agreement, including the very tough penalties for violations of its prohibitions.”
Marte, too, accepted the decision and apologized to fans through a statement he released via the team’s social media account.
“Neglect and lack of knowledge have led me to this mistake with the high price to pay of being away from the field that I enjoy and love so much,” he said. “With much embarrassment and helplessness, I ask for forgiveness for unintentionally disrespecting so many people who have trusted in my work and have supported me so much.”
He added: “I promise to learn the lesson that this ordeal has left me.”
While Marte will be eligible to return in mid-July, he will be ineligible to participate in the postseason should the Pirates make it. Under the MLB’s drug policy, if a player tests positive for a steroid, he automatically is ineligible to participate in the postseason even if the suspension ends before then.
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