Blue Jays: What do we know about the 3 suspended prospects?
By Paul Taylor
Three Blue Jays prospects have been suspended for violating the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, but what do we know about them?
It might be the MLB offseason, but the Toronto Blue Jays are still making news. Unfortunately for the team and their fans, it’s not a positive on this occasion.
As reported by Sportsnet, three Blue Jays prospects have been suspended for using a banned substance. The three players in question are shortstop Hugo Cardona, infielder Yhon Perez and catcher Leonicio Ventura.
Sportsnet goes on to report the trio of prospects all tested positive for the banned performance-enhancing substance called Boldenone. This is seen as a violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Cardona, Perez and Ventura have all been given a 72-game suspension without pay, which will take effect at the start of the 2018 season. All three players are currently with the rookie-level Dominican Summer League (DSL) Blue Jays.
Interestingly, as per a report from Sam Dykstra of MiLB.com, two other players have also been disciplined. Houston Astros pitcher Carlos Pimentel has been suspended 56 games for using Stanozolol, while free agent right-hander Angel Nesbitt has been given a 50-game ban for Heptaminol.
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Dykstra goes on to note the Commissioner’s Office has suspended 78 players in total this year, for various violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Understandably though, Blue Jays’ fans are mostly concerned with the three prospects who play for their franchise, who all made their Minor League debuts in 2017 for the DSL affiliate.
Cardona had a batting line of .249/.342/.285 in 57 games, while also stealing 15 bases. The 18-year-old has been with the Blue Jays since July 2 2016, when he signed a minor league contract.
Perez managed a .249/.335/.332 line in 55 contests and produced 24 RBI. The 29-year old signed a minor league deal at the same time as Cardona.
Finally, Ventura was arguably the best of the trio, as he produced a .290/.370/.419 batting line in 33 appearances. The 20-year-old signed a minor league contact with the Blue Jays on May 7 of this year.
Sadly, you know the three prospects won’t be the last ones to be suspended for taking illegal substances. Regardless, it will be interesting to see what impact the suspensions have on their respective careers.
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What’s your position on this story? Are you concerned about how much of an issue this is in baseball, or have you stopped caring about what the players do/take? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.