GRANDAL’S SUSPENSION ENDS
SEATTLE Catcher Yasmani Grandal was reinstated by the San Diego Padres from the restricted list Tuesday after missing the first 50 games of the season while serving a suspension for a positive testosterone test.
Grandal arrived in Seattle late Monday and was inserted into the starting lineup for the Padres as they closed out a two-game series against the Mariners on Tuesday.
“I think it’s not nerves; it’s more being excited,” Grandal said. “I think I’m going to be even more when we get back to San Diego, because you get to play in front of your home crowd.”
Sitting in the Padres dugout three hours before making his season debut, Grandal said he didn’t feel extra pressure to show that his performance at the plate last season wasn’t the result of what led to his positive test.
Grandal said the only people he needed to prove himself to were in the Padres organization.
“If I have to prove anything, it’s to the Padres. My job comes first. The Padres are the ones that have me in the major leagues and the ones that made the decisions to bring me up or down,” Grandal said. “So do I have something to prove? Yeah, to the Padres.”
Grandal was part of San Diego’s second-half resurgence in 2012, hitting .297 with eight home runs and 36 RBI in 60 games. Grandal was allowed to play 10 games at Class AAA.
Grandal apologized to his teammates at the start of spring training and read a statement in which he apologized to fans and the organization.
He said the time between the suspension being handed down in November and the start of spring training felt like forever but said things had moved quickly since.
He said he wasn’t concerned about the stigma that might come with the suspension and January’s report by the Miami New Times that he appeared in the records of Biogenesis of America LLC, a closed anti-aging clinic in Coral Gables, Fla., accused in news media reports of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs to players. Baseball sued the clinic and its backers and has purchased documents that included players’ names.
“There’s no difficulty. You’re in the major leagues, getting another opportunity to prove yourself, to let the team you’re with know that you belong here,” Grandal said. “There’s no baggage that you carry around. At the end of the day, you’re still playing here.” Reds 8, Indians 2