Pirates Pitcher Edgar Santana Suspended 80 Games for PEDs
By Joe Birdsall
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Edgar Santana received an 80-game suspension from the MLB on Sunday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance, a severe punishment that will keep him sidelined for the entire 2020 season and the first 20 games of 2021.
Pirates beat reporter Adam Berry first reported the news via Twitter, revealing that the positive test was for Boldenone, an anabolic steroid.
MLB announces that Pirates right-hander Edgar Santana has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance.
— Adam Berry (@adamdberry) June 28, 2020
Santana was also sidelined in 2019 after Tommy John surgery, which Pittsburgh sports reporter Nubyjas Wilborn reasoned may have played a role in the positive test.
Just saw that Edgar Santana got an 80-game suspension for PED use. He was working really hard to get back on the field from a TJ surgery. So many guys get tempted to cheat to recover from injury. Hate that for him & the Pirates.
— Nubyjas Wilborn (@nwilborn19) June 28, 2020
With two full years away from baseball, it is fair to wonder what Santana's MLB future could look like. Tommy John surgery is always difficult for a pitcher to overcome, but with the shortened 2020 season, a suspension that would normally last just half of a regular season could cost him over a year.
After an unspectacular 2019 season, it already appeared unlikely that Pittsburgh would contend for a playoff spot in 2020, and losing Santana certainly does not help matters.