The National League’s reigning batting champion Dee Gordon has been suspended 80 games without pay by Major League Baseball for violating MLB’s drug policy.
The suspension was first reported to the media early Friday morning. Gordon is the second MLB player to be suspended in the last eight days joining Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello, who was also coming off a career year like Gordon.
Gordon batted .333/.359/.418 with 4 home runs and 46 runs batted with a 58 stolen base season. That .333 batting average was 61 points higher than his career average after pounding out 205 hits in 2015.
The 28-year-old speedy second baseman released the following statement to the public on his suspension:
“Though I did not do so knowingly, I have been informed that test results showed I ingested something that contained prohibited substances,” the statement from Gordon said. “The hardest part about this is feeling that I have let down my teammates, the organization, and the fans. I have been careful to avoid products that could contain something banned by M.L.B. and the 20+ tests that I have taken and passed throughout my career prove this. I made a mistake and I accept the consequences.”
Gordon tested positive for exogenous testosterone and clostebol during spring training according to ESPN’s Jayson Stark.
Three months after he signed a five-year $50 million extension with the Marlins, Gordon will forfeit $1,311,475 according to Spotrac.
“These guys love Dee, and we’re going to support him,” Mattingly said. “I feel like Dee’s one of my kids, to be honest with you, because I’ve known him so long. So we’re going to love him, and then we’re going to support him. He’s been a big part of the success that we’ve had.”
The two-time MLB all-star will start serving his suspension tonight as the Marlins will take on the Brewers in Milwaukee for the start of a three-game series between the two sides.
Marlins president David Samson put out the following press release:
“Dee Gordon is a very important part of our team, and we all love him and support him,”Samson said. “That said, I don’t like or condone what he did. He is an important member of this organization and will be for many years to come. It’s a huge, huge disappointment to the kids, to our fans, to his teammates and to everyone in our organization every single day.
“He will be back 80 games from now, and he will be welcomed back to this organization. But in the interim period, we expect him and we are positive that he will do everything that’s necessary to make it up to his fans, to his teammates and to this organization.”
The timing of Gordon’s suspension is also tough to see right after the Marlins were able to complete a four-game sweep of Gordon’s former team the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It’s no secret that Miami will miss their leadoff hitter who became the first MLB player since Jackie Robinson in 1948 to lead the National League in batting average, hits, and steals in 2015. Per MLB.com, Miguel Rojas is the team’s projected replacement for Gordon at second base for now.
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