As the home stretch of the 2021 MLB season starts, the Oakland Athletics have suffered a gut punch. The league announced an 80-game suspension for outfielder Ramon Laureano after he tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Nandrolone.
This is a massive blow for the A’s. The team is holding on for dear life with the second Wild Card spot in the American League. Losing a player due to breaking the rules of the game is not something they should have had in mind. Laureano has one of the league’s best arms in center field and he has grouped that with 14 home runs and 12 stolen bases plus a .760 OPS this season. He moved to right field after the A’s acquired Starling Marte at the trade deadline, a player who also tested positive for PEDs back in 2017. Struggling Stephen Piscotty will likely replace Laureano. Contact hitter Tony Kemp is also an option.
This is not the first time in recent memory that the A’s lost a key piece due to a performance-enhancing drug incident. In 2019, breakout starter Frankie Montas was banned for the same amount of time after posting a 2.70 ERA through 15 starts. Montas returned in September but did not pitch in the postseason as Oakland fell to Tampa Bay in the Wild Card game.
Similarly, Laureano will not make a postseason appearance this year. Unlike Montas, he will not be available. Laureano’s suspension will carry over to the 2022 season, his first after becoming eligible for arbitration this fall. You would have to imagine this has affected that upcoming meeting.
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