The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Reliever Clase banned 80 games for PED
Emmanuel Clase, the young fire-balling relief pitcher acquired from Texas in the trade that sent Corey Kluber to the Rangers, on May 1 was suspended 80 days by Major League Baseball for testing positive for the banned performance enhancing drug Boldenone.
The Indians also acquired outfielder Delino DeShields for Kluber, the two-time Cy Young
Award winner who was 98-58 in nine seasons with the Tribe, but Clase was clearly the prize in the trade as far as the Indians were concerned.
“We were disappointed to learn of today’s suspension of Emmanuel Clase for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the Indians said in an organizational statement. “We fully support Major League Baseball’s policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from our game.
“We have been in contact with Emmanuel, and we will welcome him back after the discipline has been served. Per the protocol outlined by Major League Baseball’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, we will not comment further on the circumstances surrounding this announcement.”
Clase at last report was training at home in the Dominican Republic, recovering from a back injury, while baseball is in limbo because of the novel coronavirus.
Indians president Chris Antonetti on the day the trade was made spoke in glowing terms of Clase’s potential to help the Indians solidify the back end of their bullpen.
“Emmanuel Clase is a 6-foot-2 right-handed reliever with electric stuff,” Antonetti said on a conference call on Dec. 15. “He’s been up to 102 (mph), averages around 100 with his fastball that has a unique cutting profile that makes it really hard to center up.
“He complements that with an above average slider. We think he will slot into our bullpen and be a weapon out there for us.”
Bolderone is a liquid steroid injected into the muscle and used by veterinarians to treat horses, according to drugs.com.
“Boldenone Undecylenate is quite popular among athletes and bodybuilders,” according to the Quinnova.com website. “Boldenone Undecylenate
is known to enhance anabolism that can increase the capability of the body to develop tissues. The steroid helps in retaining lean muscle mass. It boosts strength.”
Quinnova reported a minor risk of serious side effects from the drug, including, “acne, oily skin, excessive body hair growth, and a deeper voice. Some side effects that are rarely reported are jaundice, fluid retention, a drop in good cholesterol, high blood pressure and hunger.
“Boldenone, just like other controlled substances, is banned for use in competitive sports by the World Anti-doping Agency. It is not approved for human consumption and that’s why people are forced to source it from the black market where quality is never guaranteed.”
The clock on the 80game suspension would begin on the first day of the regular season if baseball resumes in 2020.
Clase is 22 years old. He appeared in 21 games with the Rangers last season and struck out 21 batters over 23 1/3 innings. He was 2-3 with a 2.31 ERA and one save.
Clase was due to make $583,500 this season. The suspension will cost him $288,148 in lost wages, which breaks down to $3,601 for every game he is banished.
Baseball and the players’ union are negotiating whether any punishment should carry over to 2021 if the number of games played is fewer than the length of the suspension, according to a league source.