Seattle Mariners: Robinson Cano suspended 80 games for PED violation

Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners has been suspended for testing positive for a banned PED substance. It’s not what you think though.

It’s only Tuesday, and it’s been a rough week for the Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano. On Sunday he learned that his broken finger on his right hand may need surgery before he can return to the field. Today it was announced that he has tested positive for a banned PED substance and will be suspended for 80 games.

This is particularly bad news for the Seattle Mariners who are off to an excellent 23-17 start. That puts them just 1.5 games back in a division most thought the Houston Astros would run away with right out of the gate.

Robinson Cano, along with Ryon Healy and Mitch Haniger were all carrying an offense which included solid performances from Jean Segura, Kyle Seager, Dee Gordon, and Nelson Cruz.

The team could even expect improvements out of Seager, Cruz and maybe Segura going forward. The starting pitching had struggled, outside of James Paxton, but the bullpen had been encouraging. The team certainly had the makings of a playoff caliber season in the works.

What did Robinson Cano get caught using?

The PED substance he tested positive for wasn’t a steroid or HGH. Apparently, it was for a diuretic related to a medical issue:

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So this may be more a case of not checking whether he needed a waiver before taking a prescription than attempting to cheat and get caught. That’s little solace for fans in Seattle, however. They will likely see the Seattle Mariners slip in the standings while Cano sits out his suspension.

And that suspension may take him to the end of the year, by the way. He must first conclude his DL stint before the clock will begin ticking away.

If he takes six weeks to recover from surgery, that will put him around the end of June for when he is eligible to play again. And that would be the point at which the suspension will begin.

That puts the team somewhere around game 85 on the season. And even if he does get back on the field in September, he would be ineligible for the postseason.

No matter how you slice it, this is terrible news for Seattle Mariners fans. And shocking news for baseball fans in general. The AL West was shaping up to be a wildly entertaining division this summer.

Update: We have new information!

Robinson Cano has issued a statement pointing to a “medical issue” as the reason for using the substance he was suspended for. Here is the full statement:

Furosemide is used primarily to treat hypertension and can also be used to treat various kidney disorders and liver disease. It is banned for use by MLB players because of its effectiveness as a masking agent when using other banned substances. This looks a bit less innocent than we initially believed.

If any additional news breaks on this story we will update this article again.

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We must also offer a correction. Cano’s suspension will be served concurrently with his DL stint, meaning he would not likely be out through the end of the season. He would still remain ineligible for the postseason.