It’s been a rough month for Mariners lefty Hector Santiago. The only player to serve a suspension for doctoring balls since MLB’s crackdown on illegal foreign substances, the New Jersey-born reliever now faces an 80-game ban for PEDs after testing positive for elevated levels of testosterone. The well-traveled Santiago (the Mariners are his fifth MLB team) had just returned to Seattle's bullpen on Tuesday.
In a statement Thursday, the 33-year-old said he will not appeal his suspension, which will cost him the remainder of 2021 and also a chunk of next season. “In 2020, while I was not on a roster of an MLB club, I consulted a licensed physician in Puerto Rico who diagnosed me with a condition and recommended hormonal replacement therapy. Because I did not play in 2020, I did not consider that this therapy could ultimately lead to a positive test under MLB’s Joint Drug Program. That said, I alone am responsible for what I put in my body, and I was not careful,” explained the 10-year vet. “I apologize for any harm this has caused the Seattle Mariners, Mariners fans, teammates, and most importantly, my family.”
While leaving the mound after his appearance June 27th against the White Sox (who he previously spent five seasons with), umpire Phil Cuzzi, upon finding a suspicious substance on his glove, ejected Santiago, prompting an automatic 10-game suspension. Santiago, who insisted he was only guilty of using Rosin (which is still permitted), appealed the ruling but was unsuccessful, becoming the first—and so far, only—pitcher suspended since MLB, in response to rising strikeout numbers and a steep decline in contact, began enforcing its long dormant rule against foreign substances.
A one-time All-Star who competed for Puerto Rico at the most recent World Baseball Classic in 2017, Santiago logged a 3.42 ERA across 26 relief outings for Seattle this season.
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