Beckham draws 80-game ban
Mariners INF Tim Beckham, a former No. 1 overall Tim Beckham’s 2019 season is over. On Tuesday morning, Major League Baseball announced Beckham was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug Stanozolol.
Beckham released a statement through the Major League Baseball Players Association, saying he received a tainted supplement and had appealed the suspension but was denied by an independent arbitrator. He also apologized to the Mariners organization as well as his teammates and the fans.
Beckham started as the Mariners’ Opening-Day starting shortstop and put up prodigious numbers at the plate early in the season. But with that came a myriad errors in the field. He eventually lost his starting job to J.P. Crawford and watched his playing time and production at the plate steadily dwindle.
The 29-year-old former No. 1 overall draft pick hit .237 with 15 home runs and 47 RBIs.
Beckham’s time with the Mariners was limited prior to the suspension. He was no longer playing in the infield and was trying to fill space in the outfield, a position he had barely played prior to this season. The Mariners were planning to call up outfield prospect Jake Fraley during this homestand, but a sore quad has delayed that move. Beckham was a candidate to be designated for assignment to make room for Fraley.
Instead, Dee Gordon, who has been on the injured listed with a quadriceps strain, was set to be activated Tuesday and take Beckham’s place on the roster.
Mets: Zack Wheeler pitched eight efficient innings, Wilson Ramos and rookie Pete Alonso homered, and the Mets beat the Marlins 5-0 on Tuesday in New York for their 12th win in 13 games. The hardcharging Mets improved to 58-56 a night after surpassing the .500 mark for the first time since early May. New York has the best record in baseball since the All-Star break and improbably entered Tuesday 21⁄2 games behind the Phillies for an NL wild card despite looking like trade deadline sellers in mid-July. Wheeler (9-6) allowed eight hits and struck out five. Todd Frazier had a two-run double in the first and Ramos added a threerun shot in the third. Alonso smoked a solo shot in the fifth, his second connection in two games after going nine without one. Alonso has 36 HRs for the season.
Dodgers: Cody Bellinger hit a three-run HR and rookie Tony Gonsolin pitched six stellar innings of two-hit ball to earn his first major league victory in the as the Dodgers beat the Cardinals 8-0 on Monday night in Los Angeles. On Tuesday, the Dodgers sent Gonsolin down to Triple A. Corey Seager, Justin Turner and rookie Matt Beaty had RBI doubles, and Joc Pederson also homered in the NL-leading Dodgers’ sixth win in seven games. The Dodgers became the majors’ first team to 75 victories and improved to 4-1 on its 10-game homestand with another big offensive game to back another pitching prospect who looks ready for the majors. Gonsolin (1-1) retired 14 of the Cardinals’ first 15 batters and took a no-hitter into the fifth inning of his second career start.
Cubs: A day after the Cubs placed veteran closer Craig Kimbrel on the IL with right knee inflammation, the team placed righthanded reliever Brandon Kintzler on the IL with right pectoral inflammation. The NL Central leaders activated Pedro Strop off the IL. He had been out since July 26 with neck tightness. Strop was the Cubs closer before Kimbrel’s arrival in late June. The two pitchers each have a team-high nine saves.
Phillies: Vince Velasquez allowed two runs in a season-high seven innings and Scott Kingery homered in his hometown ballpark, leading the Phillies to a 7-3 victory over the Diamondbacks on Monday night in Phoenix. Velasquez (4-6) gave up six hits, struck out three and got help from a running catch in left field by Adam Haseley with a runner on and two outs in the seventh, taking a hit away from Diamondbacks’ Carson Kelly. Ketel Marte led off the bottom of the first with a triple and came home on Peralta’s grounder. The Phillies tied it at 1 on Phoenix native Kingery’s 14th HR of the season in the second. The Phillies went ahead for good with two runs in the third inning.
Giants: 2B Joe Panik was designated for assignment, less than a week after the Giants acquired Scooter Gennett from the Reds prior to the trade deadline. Panik hit .235 with three HRs and 27 RBIs in 103 games this season.
— News services