For a season that was looking like it could turn out to be statistically a career-best for San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera, it has suddenly been put on hold.
Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday that the 28-year old outfielder, and this year’s All-Star Game MVP, would be suspended for 50 games due to testing positive for testosterone. The suspension is without pay and is effective immediately.
Cabrera, who is in his first season with the Giants, is currently hitting .346, second highest average in the National League, with 11 home runs, 60 runs batted in and a league-best 159 hits.
With just 45 games remaining, Cabrera will miss the rest of the regular season and then either five games in the playoffs or at the beginning of next season, depending on how the Giants finish off the season and if they get a taste of the post-season.
Melky Cabrera spoke on his suspension via a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association;
“My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used. I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and I will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down.”
The eight-year veteran and former member of the Yankees, Braves and Royals has batted above .300 only once in his career – last season with the Royals – and has never batted higher than .280 before that.
The San Francisco Giants spoke too on the suspension of Melky Cabrera via their website;
“We were extremely disappointed to learn of the suspension of Melky Cabrera for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support Major League Baseball’s policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing drugs from our game. Per the protocol outline by Major League Baseball’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Giants will not comment further on this matter.”
Perhaps this was something that Cabrera started earlier than this season, but now that he has been busted, he will sit back and hope that this doesn’t hurt his team’s chance of making it to the post-season.
Hopefully this is a lesson learned by the Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic native and furthermore, hopefully it’s the last time his name is mentioned in the media for something so negative.