Robinson Cano suspended 80 games for violating MLB drug policy
Already injured and out of the lineup, now Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano has been suspended for 80 games.
Through his first 39 games this season, Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano is having a typical solid campaign with a .287/.385/.441 slash-line, 23 RBI and 24 runs scored. But he will be out awhile after being hit by a pitch on Sunday, and now Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic passed along that Cano was facing an 80-game suspension for violating baseball’s joint drug agreement.
Deportivo Z 101 in the Dominican Republic, Cano’s home country, first reported Cano’s suspension for steroid use, with an announcement expected on Tuesday that has now come.
Cano suffered a broken fifth metacarpal on his right hand after being hit by a pitch from Tigers’ reliever Blaine Hardy on Sunday, and he was placed on the disabled list Monday. He was scheduled to see a specialist in Philadelphia on Tuesday, which could bring a more precise timetable to what is in line to be an extended injury absence.
Mariners 2B Robinson Canó suspended 80 games after testing positive for Furosemide. He will start the suspension immediately. pic.twitter.com/cQs41P6tfD
— MLB (@MLB) May 15, 2018
Cano has already come out with the cookie cutter denial we always see, with the word “never” attached to cheating the game or taking PEDs, while suggesting Furosemide is not actually a performance-enhancing substance and something he got for medical need. He also said he will accept the suspension, rather than exercise his right to an appeal if he hadn’t already done so.
Cano said he legitimately was given drug he tested positive for, which is to help people with heart, kidney and stroke issues. https://t.co/M2W29FjIZf
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 15, 2018
But ESPN investigative reporter T.J. Quinn seems to disagree with Cano’s assessment of the substance he tested positive for.
Robinson Cano suspended for taking furosemide, a diuretic commonly used to mask PED use. It’s the kind of drug a player is likely to say he took by accident and didn’t help his performance. Eager to hear his explanation, because he has access to certified, clean supplements.
— T.J. Quinn (@TJQuinnESPN) May 15, 2018
MLB confirms Robinson Cano tested positive for Ferosemide, otherwise known as a “water pill.” Helps to flush body of liquid causing more urine, and for a drug test, a diluted sample.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 15, 2018
Cano’s acceptance of the suspension is surely tied to his injury, which may keep him out for a big chunk of that 80-game ban. He is making $24 million this season, so the expected nearly 50 percent of his 2018 pay is now going away with the suspension.
$11,851,852: What Robinson Cano would lose in salary from an 80-game suspension.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) May 15, 2018
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Cano is under contract through the 2023 season, when he’ll be almost 41 years old, at $24 million each year, and if Seattle makes the playoffs this year he won’t be eligible. If a case can be made for allowing teams to void the contract of a player who get popped for performance-enhancing drugs, the Mariners have a strong one now with Cano.