SI.com’s Jon Heyman reports that Reds’ starter Edinson Volquez has been suspended 50 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
It is believed Volquez failed the test during spring training. Major League Baseball confirmed the suspension in a press release and said the suspension will take effect April 21.
Volquez was an NL All-Star in 2008, his first year with Cincinnati, and was off to a 4-2 start with a 4.35 ERA for the Reds in 2009 before being shut down with elbow problems. He didn’t pitch after June 1 and underwent Tommy John surgery last August. He is still rehabbing and has not pitched yet this season.
Volquez was placed on the 60-day disabled list on February 22 and apparently he can start serving his suspension while he’s on the DL, which is crap in my opinion. If he broke a rule, he shouldn’t be allowed to start crossing suspended games off his punishment checklist when he wasn’t even going to be playing in them anyway. The suspension should start the moment he’s activated from the DL.
But I digress. I’m speculating here, but chances are Volquez took the PEDs in order to speed up the recovery time after undergoing Tommy John surgery. It’s incredibly disappointing that players still believe that they can get away with taking performance enhancers, but at least MLB caught and punished him for it.
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