Oakland A’s minor leaguer Charles Hall suspended 50 games
Major League Baseball is currently unable to test players for PEDs. Their Joint Drug Program has come to an end, and with the ongoing lockout, it is questionable as to whether or not the league would be able to enforce those tests anyway. However, as Oakland A’s minor leaguer Charles Hall learned, that does not extend to the minors.
Hall was one of five players to be suspended recently for drug violations. His suspension is for 50 games as he failed a test for “drugs of abuse.”
MLB announces five minor leaguers have been suspended for drug/substance violations.
— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) February 4, 2022
50 games for drug of abuse
FA RHP Nick Belzer
A’s RHP Charles Hall
Marlins OF Tristan Pompey
60 games for Stanozolol, a PED
Tigers RHP Hector Rodriguez
D-backs RHP Jose Valdez
Oakland A’s minor league pitcher Charles Hall suspended 50 games
The fact that Hall is even in the A’s system is a bit of a miracle. He had been working at Panera and living with his parents after dropping out of college before heading to a baseball academy for a 30 minute tryout. He impressed enough to get a chance to pitch in community college again before getting an opportunity with the Division II Tusculum Pioneers in the South Atlantic Conference, where he led the nation in strikeouts in 2019.
His surprising journey continued when he was selected by the A’s in the 33rd round, the oldest player taken in the draft that year. He pitched well in the Arizona League, and after the lost 2020 season, was assigned to the High-A Lansing Lugnuts in 2021.
Hall continued to exceed any expectations as he performed well for the Lugnuts. He produced a 2.11 ERA and a 0.984 WHiP in his 64 innings, notching 12 saves while striking out 79 batters with just 21 walks. The A’s appeared to have found a potential piece for the future in an unlikely place.
That production will likely earn Hall a second chance. More often than not, those late round picks who get into that sort of trouble would just be let go, released as the team just replaces them with another pick. But Hall showed the potential to be a valuable piece going forward. This is just another bump in a road that had led to an unexpected journey.
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Oakland A’s minor leaguer Charles Hall has been suspended for 50 games. This is just another bump in what has been a difficult road.