Mariners All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano has been suspended 80 games without pay for testing positive for a banned substance.
That substance was a diuretic called Furosemide (also known as Lasix), and using it is a violation of MLB's drug prevention and treatment program. Cano released a statement that said, in part, he would accept the suspension which starts now. Worth noting is that he was already out after he broke his hand on a hit by pitch this past weekend. That injury was expected to keep him out for 6-8 weeks if surgery was required.
"Recently I learned that I tested positive for a substance called Furosemide, which is not a performance enhancing substance," Cano said. "For more than 15 years, playing professional baseball has been the greatest honor and privilege of my life. I would never do anything to cheat the rules of the game that I love, and after undergoing dozens of drug tests over more than a decade, I have never tested positive for a performance enhancing substance for the simple reason that I have never taken one."
You can read the rest of his statement below:
According to ESPN, MLB's drug policy has a rule that states a player won't be automatically suspended for a diuretic unless the league is able to prove he used it as a masking agent. Furthermore, a source told ESPN that Cano's positive test occurred prior to the season at which point the veteran second baseman appealed. Cano reportedly dropped that appeal after MLB was able to determine his intent.
As for how the rest of this will play out, Cano's current time on the disabled list will count as time served during his suspension. However, he will lose nearly half his $24 million salary from 2018. Also, should Seattle actually make it to the postseason (which would end the longest current playoff drought in baseball) Cano would not be eligible to participate.
In addition to Cano's statement above, his team also put out a statement of their own, in which they said: "Robinson made a mistake. He has explained to us what happened, accepted the punishment and has apologized to the fans, the organization and his teammates. We will support Robinson as he works through this challenge."
In 39 games this year, the 35-year-old Cano had a slash line of .287/.385/.441, with four home runs and 23 RBIs.
