MESA, Ariz. — Frankie Montas first thought about his family. His mother, Grissel, and father, Francisco were counting on their 26-year-old son to send money back home to the Dominican Republic. How much would nearly three months with no pay impact his loved ones?
Then, Montas thought about his friends, his teammates. Until that dark June day, Montas was the Oakland A’s brightest hope, a welcome surprise. A fractured rotation found its foundation in Montas after he put up a 2.70 ERA, a career-high 103 strikeouts in 15 starts.
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That was the day MLB handed down a 80-game suspension to Montas, a penalty for testing positive for Osterine, a banned performance enhancing drug.