Pirates outfielder Starling Marte received an 80-game suspension without pay on Tuesday for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Marte, hitting .241 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 13 games this season, tested positive for Nandrolone, a performance-enhancing substance, MLB said.
The suspension, which is effective immediately, makes Marte ineligible for this year’s postseason if the Pirates qualify. (Oliver Macklin, MLB.com)
Tough loss for a team who isn’t off to a hot start. The Pittsburgh Pirates are currently 6-7 and tied for 3rd in the NL Central. This will surely deflate the clubhouse, which was at a high after sweeping the Cubs in Chicago over the weekend.
Marte is coming off of an all-star season in which he hit .311 AVG and collected his 2nd Gold Glove.
We will see how the Pirates will play without Marte, but it doesn’t look good. As one of their best players, a hit of 80 games will be a lot to compensate for. Andrew McCutchen has already been in trade talks and if this team falls like they are expected without Marte, they may be huge sellers at the trade deadline.
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