Seattle Mariners infielder Robinson Cano has support of his teammates

Seattle Mariners infielder Robinson Cano had the support of his teammates while talking to the media before his first game back from a PED suspension.

As you’d expect, with Seattle Mariners infielder Robinson Cano returning from his 80-game PED suspension on Tuesday, he has the full support of his teammates. Greg Johns tweeted that most of Cano’s teammates were visibly present in the back of the interview room while Cano spoke to media members. Dee Gordon said, “We just wanted to show him that we all make mistakes, myself included, but you’re not here alone.”

Gordon should know how Cano feels. He’s been down this road before. Two years ago, he was suspended for 80 games when he tested positive for Testosterone and Clostebol. Gordon was with the Miami Marlins when he was suspended in late April of 2016 and was coming off the two best seasons of his career. He had just led the league in hits, batting average and steals and made the All-Star team for the second time in two seasons.

During the year of his suspension, Gordon’s batting line dropped from a career-best .333/.359/.418 in 2015 to an ugly .268/.305/.335 in 2016. He bounced back a bit last year but is currently hitting about as poorly as he hit in that 2016 season. He’s been particularly bad since June 1, with a .279 OBP and just four walks in 262 plate appearances.

Another key player on the Mariners roster with a PED suspension in his past is DH Nelson Cruz. Two years before signing a free agent contract with the Mariners, Cruz was suspended in 2013 for his connection to the Biogenesis PED scandal. He never tested positive for PEDs, but accepted a 50-game suspension rather than a threatened 100-game suspension.

But wait, there’s more. The Mariners acquired relief pitcher Alex Colome from the Tampa Bay Rays in May. Colome was suspended for 50 games after a positive PED test in 2014. Also in 2014, current Mariners center fielder Cameron Maybin was suspended for 25-games after a positive test for amphetamines.

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That makes five current Seattle Mariners with PED suspensions in their past, but only Robinson Cano’s came as a member of the organization. It shouldn’t be surprising that his teammates are supportive. That’s what teammates do. Also, the team really needs Cano’s bat because the offense has struggled mightily over the last month and the Mariners have lost their hold on the second wild card spot to the surging Oakland A’s.

It will be interesting to see how the fans respond to Cano when the Mariners come home to play a three-game series against the Dodgers on Friday. His performance in the games against Oakland on Tuesday and Wednesday could play a role in whether the fans at Safeco cheer or jeer when he first steps to the plate at Safeco.

If Cano’s reception at Safeco is anything like his experience during his rehab stint in the minor leagues, it should be a typically polite Seattle crowd welcoming back one of the team’s top players. I attended two of the three games Cano played for the Mariners short-season affiliate in the Northwest League, the Everett Aquasox. Cano received a friendly welcome from Aquasox fans.

Cano’s presence on Thursday, Friday and Saturday led to big crowds. In the three games he played, the Aquasox averaged 4226 fans. Their non-Cano season average attendance is 2823. In two previous sets of games played on Thursday/Friday/Saturday, they averaged 3270 and 2652. Having the major leaguer play with the A-ball team brought out thousands of excited fans.

Along with the big crowds and the warm reception, there was another indicator that fans will support Cano in his return from the suspension. There was a jersey auction during the Friday night game and Cano’s jersey went for the highest price, by far. The highest bidder received the jersey Cano wore that night, right off the big leaguer’s back.

In a sign of what is likely to come when he joins the Seattle Mariners, Cano played first base and was 3-for-4 with a homer and a double in his first game with the Aquasox. He followed that up with a 2-for-4 game that included a grand slam and a nifty double play at second base. In his final game with the team, Cano played third base and was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.

Robinson Cano has played every inning but one at second base in his major league career (way back in 2013, he played an inning at shortstop). With the Seattle Mariners going forward, he is expected to play first, second, and DH, and may get some time at third base. In his first game back from the suspension, he batted second and played first base. Unfortunately, the Mariners lost a second-straight one-run game and now trail Oakland by 3.5 games for the second wild card spot.