Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia suspended 80 games for positive steroid test
Mets closer Jenrry Mejia tested positive for Stanozolol and has been suspended for 80 games.
The New York Mets will now have to go through the first half of their season without closer Jenrry Mejia.
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Mejia has tested positive for the steroid Stanozolol, and has subsequently been suspended by the MLB for 80 games.
Mejia is the fourth player recently to be suspended for the performance-enhancer, after Mariners pitcher David Rollins, Braves pitcher Arodys Vizcaino and Twins pitcher Ervin Santana were all suspended for testing positive for the drug.
Mejia had not pitched yet for the Mets this season. On Opening Day, Mejia felt elbow tightness as he was warming up to come in for the save. As a result of the elbow tightness, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list.
Mejia will now be gone even longer than the 15 days he was slated to originally miss because of his elbow.
Mets RHP Jenrry Mejia suspended 80 games without pay after testing positive for Stanozolol, effective immediately.
— MLB (@MLB) April 11, 2015
The Mets released a statement in regards to Mejia’s suspension.
"We were disappointed when informed of Jenrry’s suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the Mets said in a statement. “We fully support MLB’s policy toward eliminating performance enhancing substances from the sport. As per the Joint Drug Program, we will have no further comment on this suspension.”"
This is another big blow to the young Mets who are trying to become a playoff team again with their talented young pitching.
Mejia, 25, became the team’s closer for the first time last season and had 28 saves for the club. The Mets also lost Zack Wheeler before the season because of a torn UCL in his elbow.
Mejia’s case is interesting as well, despite being suspended for 80 games. If there is indeed something wrong with his elbow as a result of the inflammation he was diagnosed with, then perhaps he could be gone even longer than the 80-game suspension he is slated for.
His suspension is also interesting because yet another player has tested positive for Stanozolol, and it appears that multiple players have been using the drug for quite some time now.
Regardless, this is certainly disappointing news for the Mets organization as they were hoping they could use their young pitching for success this season.
The good news is that Matt Harvey has returned from his torn UCL and has looked fantastic to start the season.
The bad news, however, is that they will now be without their blossoming closer because of a failed drug test.
(H/T: MLB, New York Daily News)
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