It is a good thing that the Oakland A’s landed Starling Marte. Their outfield depth is about to become vitally important as Ramon Laureano will not be back until sometime in 2022.
On Friday afternoon, Major League Baseball announced that Laureano had been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Nandrolone, a banned PED.
80-game PED suspension for Ramón Laureano
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) August 6, 2021
Ramon Laureano lost for rest of 2021 for positive PED test
For his part, Laureano claims that he does not know how that PED entered his system. According to a statement released through the MLBPA, he tested positive for a small amount of that substance, believing that it had come through something that was contaminated.
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Regardless of how that happened, losing Laureano is a major blow for the A’s outfield. He had recently moved over from center to right to accommodate Marte, providing Gold Glove caliber defense in both areas. Laureano had also produced a .246/.317/.443 batting line with 14 homers, 21 doubles, and 12 steals. His above average production at the plate, and all around ability, will be sorely missed.
This may mean a second chance for Stephen Piscotty as well. He had been relegated to the bench since Marte was acquired, although the A’s had been attempting to find a mix that would work in right prior to that trade. Now they are back to the drawing board.
This suspension will also impact the A’s postseason hopes. Laureano will miss any playoff games that the A’s play, although those contests will count towards his suspension. The deeper the A’s play into October, the sooner Laureano will be back in 2022.
The Oakland A’s received terrible news on Friday, as Ramon Laureano has been suspended for PED usage. He will be out into the 2022 season.