Jenrry Mejia denies knowledge of PED use following lifetime ban

(AP) Hours after becoming the first player to be permanently suspended by MLB for a third positive test for PEDs, Jenrry Mejia denied knowledge of his use.

According to ESPN New York’s Adam Rubin, Mejia spoke to Dominican sports journalist Hector Gomez on Friday and relayed the following message, which was translated from Spanish:

“It is not like they say. I am sure that I did not use anything.”

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Not necessarily an emphatic denial, but a denial nonetheless from the 26-year-old pitcher.

Mejia’s baseball future is pretty murky right now, so it’s not surprising that he would plead his innocence in the face of his lifetime ban. His words, true or not, won’t impact his standing with the league though. It’s too late for that. But his words and actions could go a long way toward determining what his future will be.

In one year, Mejia will be eligible to apply to commissioner Rob Manfred for reinstatement. It’s probably a longshot to begin with, but it would seem his course of action would be taking personal responsibility for testing positive three times in an 11-month span. A denial doesn’t really work here, not when we’ve reached this point. To win back some respect and trust, there has to be some form of acceptance.

It’s his responsibility to know what substances are banned, and it’s his responsibility to know what’s going into his body. When viewed from that perspective, that’s three times Mejia failed himself and let him teammates down. Only he knows the true intentions, but there’s no way around that.

If Manfred were gracious enough to reinstate Mejia, he would have to sit out a minimum of two years before being able to pitch again in the majors. If an application is made and denied, Mejia could ask baseball’s arbitrator to end the ban, claiming the penalty is without “just cause.’ The arbitrator would not be able to reduce the ban to less than two years.

Rubin also points out how Mejia’s suspension will impact a possible career out MLB.

MLB suspensions are honored by affiliated leagues in other countries, such as in Japan, South Korea and Mexico. However, suspended players are allowed to compete in winter leagues, such as in Mejia’s native Dominican Republic. Independent leagues are not compelled to honor MLB suspensions but may choose to do so.

In other words, there’s a lot riding on how Mejia handles himself over the next 12 months.

This denial is not an inspiring beginning to that critical timeframe, but here’s hoping Jenrry Mejia is able to figure it out and carve out a productive role somewhere, hopefully in baseball.

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