San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Montas suspended over failed PED test
MLB delivers 80-game ban for Oakland’s rotation leader
He was one of the best starters in the majors. A spot on the American League All-Star team seemed fait accompli .At 26, he seemingly solved the puzzle that all athletes encounter before they can call themselves elite.
Now, Frankie Montas has lost it all, at least for 2019, and now the A’s have to adjust.
Less than 24 hours after dominating the Tampa Bay Rays for eight innings in a 5-4 walkoff victory, Montas had to stand before his teammates Friday and inform them he had been suspended 80 games after testing positive for ostarine, a performance-enhancing drug that is banned under baseball’s Joint Drug Agreement.
The suspension began immediately and will not end until September, when the A’s have six games left in the regular season. He is not eligible for the All-Star Game and will not be allowed to pitch in the postseason should Oakland get there.
“It’s definitely a shock,” outfielder Stephen Piscotty said. “I haven’t been on a team that has had a player suspended, so this is the first time I’ve gotten this news about a team
mate. It’s kind of unfortunate for all parties involved.
“We’re thinking of Frankie, hoping everything will get itself worked out in the future.”
Piscotty said he was glad the team could hear the news from Montas, and not from TV or social media.
“You could tell he felt like he was letting us down,” Piscotty said. “He’s been our best arm. To lose him for such an extended period of time and not have him in the postseason is a huge blow. It puts a damper on the mood. No doubt about it. But we’re big-leaguers and we’ve got to carry on.”
Team officials learned about the suspension Friday as well. Under the Joint Drug Agreement, teams cannot be told about a positive test until a final adjudication.
General manager David Forst said Montas knew about the positive test “for a while” and that he unsuccessfully appealed it.
Montas was gone from the clubhouse before reporters were allowed inside, but he already had issued a statement through the players’ union, saying he “unfortunately and unknowingly ingested a contaminated supplement that I had purchased over-the-counter at a nutrition store here in the United States.”
“That said, I respect MLB rules and understand my responsibilities under the Joint Drug Agreement, and accept full responsibility. I sincerely apologize to the A’s organization, the fans, my teammates, and my family for this mistake. My hope is to be able to return to the A’s later this season and
contribute as best I can.”
Montas’ suspension was a blow to a team on the rise. The A’s won their fourth game in a row Thursday night on Matt Chapman’s three-run walkoff homer. Montas had struck out nine and allowed one run on a solo homer through eight innings.
Montas is 9-2 with a 2.70 ERA after a 5-4, 3.88 2018 season. Now, his huge step forward will be tainted regardless of how much or how little the banned substance helped him achieve it.
Montas met separately Friday morning with Forst and manager Bob Melvin before addressing the team.
“It’s disappointing on a number of levels,” Forst said. “Obviously, I’m personally disappointed in Frankie, disappointed for his teammates … who have worked very hard the first half of this season and played very well of late, and I know have high expectations for themselves going forward.”
Forst said that while he appreciated Montas’ remorse
during their conversation, “at that point there wasn’t much we could do.”
“I think it’s a shock to everybody,” Melvin said. “We met as a team. Frankie spoke and was very remorseful. He’s going to accept what he has to deal with and feels bad about it. As a team we went through some adversity last year. This is a little different as far as that goes, but it doesn’t take away from the fact that we still expect to go out and win, and somebody else will get an opportunity.”
Indeed, the one silver lining for the A’s is the prospect of some front-line starters returning soon from injuries.
Jesus Luzardo (rotator cuff strain) is pitching in minorleague rehab games and Sean Manaea (shoulder surgery) should join him soon after throwing 60 pitches in a simulated game in Arizona on Thursday.
The A’s have a precedent in overcoming a drug suspension. On Aug. 22, 2012, they lost Bartolo Colon to a 50-game
suspension for a positive testosterone test. The A’s were 10 games over .500 at the time, finished 28-12 and won the AL West with 94 victories.
With 86 games left in 2019, the A’s have much more time to discern how to replace Montas’ fantastic production. On Friday, they were not ready to say who would take Montas’ next turn.
They replaced Montas on the 25-man roster with reliever J.B. Wendelken, who was promoted from Triple-A.
“Next man up is their motto,” Forst said. “Whether it’s performance or injuries or something like this, every guy, not just the 25 men here, but everybody in the organization, has shown the ability to step up, and it led to a lot of great things last year.
“I think they’re going to feel the same sense of responsibility this time around.”