SEATTLE — Seattle Mariners All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano was suspended 80 games for violating baseball’s joint drug agreement.
The league announced Cano’s suspension Tuesday, a stunning development for the stalwart in the middle of the Mariners’ lineup and a club expected to contend for a postseason spot in the American League. Cano tested positive for Furosemide, a diuretic. In a statement released through the players’ association, Cano said, “This substance was given to me by a licensed doctor in the Dominican Republic to treat a medical ailment.” He said he didn’t realize it was banned.
Cano is the most prominent player to be busted since Melky Cabrera was suspended in 2012 while leading the league in hitting.