Seattle Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano has been suspended 80 games for testing for a banned substance used to mask PEDs.
The news comes 24 hours after being put on the DL after fracturing his right pinky finger. Cano sustained the injury when he was hit by pitch by Blaine Hardy of the Tigers on Sunday afternoon. Cano won't be eligible to return until August 13th. He will also be ineligible for the All-Star Game nor would he be eligible for the post-season should the Mariners play October baseball for the first time since 2001. As of this writing, the Mariners are 1.5 games back of both the Houston Astros and Los Angeles Angels in the AL West. Who knows where they will be in three months time? It will be interesting if Dee Gordon is moved back to second base after spending the off-season learning to play the outfield.
Already we are being treated to stories about how this will be a fatal blow to Cano's Cooperstown candidacy. It's funny because I had this discussion about Cano with a friend of mine a few weeks ago. He thought Cano was a slam dunk while I thought he was a borderline case. At 35, he has 2,417 career hits and is a .304 lifetime hitter. I told my friend if Cano got 3,000 hits that he would punch his ticket. Now Cano is under contract with the Mariners through the 2023 season. Even if Cano gets to 3,000 there's no guarantee he'll get in. Just ask Rafael Palmeiro. Although Cano wasn't bragging about never taking banned substances in front of a Congressional committee.
Indeed, Cano was contrite in his statement although he denied knowingly taking any banned substances which is bound to create skepticism. With that said should Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds be inducted by their final year of eligibility in 2022 then Cano has a fighting chance assuming he maintains his current level of play which, of course, could only serve to compound suspicion. Cano might be damned if he does and damned if he doesn't.
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