Dee Gordon hit with 80-game PED ban
Marlins All-Star second baseman Dee Gordon has been suspended 80 games, without pay, after testing positive for exogenous Testosterone and Clostebol, two performance-enhancing substances that are banned under Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program (JDA).
MLB made the announcement late Thursday night following the Marlins’ win over the Dodgers.
Gordon released the following statement in response:
Though I did not do so knowingly, I have been informed that test results showed I ingested something that contained prohibited substances. The hardest part about this is feeling that I have let down my teammates, the organization and the fans. I have been careful to avoid products that could contain something banned by MLB and the 20+ tests that I have taken and passed throughout my career prove this. I made a mistake and I accept the consequences.
Gordon, 28, is coming off a 2015 season in which he won the NL batting title and led the majors in stolen bases, while also claiming his first Gold Glove and Silver Slugger. For his career, he owns a batting line of .291/.326/.368 (94 OPS+) across parts of six major-league seasons.
In January, Gordon signed a five-year, $50 million contract extension with the Marlins that includes a club option for 2021. Yahoo!’s Jeff Passan estimates that Gordon will lose $1.63 million in salary over the course of his 80-game suspension. Gordon, of course, has the right to appeal the suspension, but according to Tim Brown he’s agreed to drop his appeal.
“Dee Gordon is a very important part of our team, and we all love him and support him,” Marlins president David Samson after the suspension was announced (via the AP). “That said, I don’t like or condone what he did. He is an important member of this organization and will be for many years to come. It’s a huge, huge disappointment to the kids, to our fans, to his teammates and to everyone in our organization every single day.
“He will be back 80 games from now, and he will be welcomed back to this organization. But in the interim period, we expect him, and we are positive that he will do everything that’s necessary to make it up to his fans, to his teammates and to this organization.”
Per the JDA, Gordon will also not be eligible to participate in postseason play this year, should the Marlins make it that far. Without Gordon for almost half the season, their road will of course be that much more difficult.
On the other side of things, the Dodgers, per Andy McCullough, weren’t pleased that Gordon was able to play in what turned out to be a four-game sweep.
Dee Gordon has been suspended for 80 games for use of two different banned substances.(USATSI)
