Robinson Cano got popped for PEDs, and now the Mariners season is over

When Robinson Cano broke his hand, Mariners fans thought things couldn’t get any worse — then it did.

For a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs in almost two decades, it’s safe to say there were high hopes for the Seattle Mariners season. Then a number of things happened that threw all that hope close to the window but not out it.

Shohei Ohtani turned into a guy that could be the best two-way player ever and is leading the charge as the Angels attempt to get over the hump. Houston has followed up its World Series victory by becoming even better than it was last year.

Then news broke on Tuesday that All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano — who just suffered a broken hand this weekend — would be suspended for 80-games for failing a PED test.

That hurts a lot more than a broken hand and effectively ends the Mariners season. Already Seattle was playing behind the 8-ball thanks to the stacked division it plays in, and losing Cano for a few weeks with a broken hand was bad enough.

Now that he’s done for at least 80-games, Cano’s absence leaves a void that probably can’t be filled. The tide was already turning against Seattle making a Wild Card push and now that dream seems to have shattered like Cano’s hand did this weekend.

Truthfully, this is most unfair to Mariners who have been waiting for next year since 2001. It finally looked like the team might get back to the postseason for the first time since that 116-win season so many years ago. But in true M’s fashion, nothing nice can happen to a franchise that seems cursed to endlessly break the hearts of its fans.

At least Cano will have some time to heal up and get ready for that 2019 playoff push.