Jose Valverde suspended 80 games for banned substance

Relief pitcher Jose Valverde has been suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for the banned substance stanozolol.

After leading baseball in games finished in both 2011 and 2012 Valverde has trying seasons with the Tigers and Mets in 2013 and 2014. But he was far more effective with the Nationals’ AAA affiliate in 2015 where he pitched to a 2.39 ERA across 26.1 innings (27 appearances). He struck out batters at a rate of 7.2 per nine innings, and had given up just one run across his final 13 appearances dating back to June 17.

Valverde’s minor-league success seemed to put him in position to potentially find big-league work down the stretch, though after not finding a job for nearly a month, the suspension seems to put even more uncertainty around the future for the 37-year-old. Valverde could turn to the Mexican or Korean leagues to try and impress big-league teams if he was motivated to keep his career at the highest level alive.

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