Major League Baseball bans Melky Cabrera.
The San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera was suspended today for 50 games without pay, effective immediately for violating the MLB’s the Joint Drug Program, when he tested positive for testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance. This comes to a complete shock to the San Francisco Giants, who just got back Pablo Sandoval. Usually when a player is about to be suspended Major League Baseball’s Players Association will notify the team in advance, in this case none was given, so the Giants were short-handed for their game against the Nationals.
Cabrera has been leading all of Major League Baseball with 159 hits; he is second in the national league in runs scored (84) and batting average (.346). He also had the most multiple hit games with 52 so far this season; he also has 11 home runs and 60 RBI and was the MLB All-Star Game MVP.
With only 45 games remaining in the season, Cabrera will not be playing again in the regular season and would have to sit five additional games if the Giants make it into the playoffs, which will be a lot more difficult without Cabrera.
After Major League Baseball announced the suspension, Cabrera came out with a statement of his own, “My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used,” Cabrera said in a statement issued by the MLB Players Association. “I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and I will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down.”
The apology will be little comfort to Giant fans; who will have to endure a more torturous season because of the tremendous production that Cabrera has delivered this season. Now everyone will assume that Cabrera’s breakout season was the product of performance enhancing drug use, which it probably was but it will be hard to see the Giants re-signing Cabrera after this, but only time will tell.
The Giants came out with their own statement shortly after the news came out that Cabrera had been suspended.
“We were extremely disappointed to learn of the suspension of Melky Cabrera for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support Major League Baseball’s policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from our game. Per the protocol outline by Major League Baseball’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Giants will not comment further on this matter.
While this suspension has drastically hurt the Giants chances at making the playoffs, they are by no means out of it, in a virtual dead-heat with the LA Dodgers. One thing is for sure though; this has cost Melky Cabrera millions of dollars because his price tag just went down big.
This is the second Giant’s player suspended for using performance enhancing drugs this season, the first being relief pitcher Guillermo Mota who was suspended for 100 games earlier in the season for his second violation.
