Pirates All-Star outfielder Marte banned 80 games for PEDs
ST. LOUIS — Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star outfielder Starling Marte has been suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a performanceenhancing drug.
The league said Tuesday that Marte tested positive for the steroid Nandrolone. He will be eligible to return in mid-July.
Marte was an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2016 and moved from left field to center field in the offseason after winning his second Gold Glove. The 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic is hitting .241 with two home runs and seven RBIs this season.
Marte said in a statement that “neglect and lack of knowledge led to this mistake.”
“With much embarrassment and helplessness, I ask for forgiveness for unintentionally disrespecting so many people who have trusted in my work and have supported me so much,” he said. “I promise to learn the lesson that this ordeal has left me.”
Pirates president Frank Coonelly he was “disappointed that Starling put himself, his teammates and the organization in this position.”
Marte addressed the team during a closed-door meeting before its game Tuesday at St. Louis.
Barring postponements, Marte would be eligible to return for the July 18 home game against Milwaukee and would lose 91 days’ pay from his $5 million salary, which comes to $2,486,339. Under a change to baseball’s drug agreement in collective bargaining during the offseason, he doesn’t get paid on days off during the ban. Under the old agreement, he would have lost 80 days’ pay, which would have amounted to $2,185,782.
Under the drug agreement, Marte is ineligible for the 2017 postseason if the Pirates were to advance.
Manager Clint Hurdle said Andrew McCutchen, who had expressed displeasure about being moved from center field to right field during the offseason, will now get the bulk of the work in center.
Buchholz could miss rest of ’17
Philadelphia Phillies righthander Clay Buchholz had surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm and could miss the rest of the season.
The 32-year-old twotime All-Star was placed on the 10-day disabled list retroactive to April 15 prior to the club’s series opener against the New York Mets. The surgery was performed by Dr. James Andrews, and Buchholz now faces an estimated recovery time of four to six months.
The Phillies also placed outfielder Howie Kendrick on the 10-day disabled list with a right abdominal strain, retroactive to April 16.
Blue Jays’ Happ placed on DL
The Toronto Blue Jays placed lefthander J.A. Happ on the 10-day disabled list. Happ, who won 20 games for the first time last year, left Sunday’s start against Baltimore in the fifth inning with a sore elbow.
On Monday, he had an MRI, which revealed no structural damage.
Manager John Gibbons says he’s optimistic Happ will be ready to return at the end of his DL stint, or shortly after.