Kansas City Royals prospect Raul Mondesi has been suspended 50 games for violating the joint drug agreement.
Major League Baseball confirmed Mondesi's 50-game suspension Tuesday on Twitter. Joel Sherman of the New York Post added that MLB and the MLB Players Association agreed to decrease his punishment from 80 games "after he showed substance in cold medicine."
Sherman noted that Mondesi's argument in his favor to get the suspension reduced came under the "No Significant Fault or Negligence" provision that was resolved before an appeal to the positive test was filed.
ESPN's T.J. Quinn wrote that Mondesi is the first player to successfully receive a reduced suspension "under the unintentional ingestion provision" that was added to the previous joint drug agreement.
Royals general manager Dayton Moore issued a statement after Mondesi's suspension was announced, via Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports:
Mondesi also released a statement through the MLB Players Association, via MLB.com's Cash Kruth:
Today, I agreed to accept a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball. It is by far one of the hardest moments I have had to face in my life, but it is a decision that I accept and one that I take full responsibility for as a professional.
I took an over-the-counter medication [Subrox-C], which I bought in the Dominican Republic to treat cold and flu symptoms. I failed to read the labeling on the medication or consult with my trainer or team about taking it and did not know it contained a banned substance. I tested positive for that banned substance, with a minuscule amount of Clenbuterol in my system, which could not have possibly enhanced my performance on the field, and now must face the consequences of that mistake.
I apologize to my organization, my teammates, the fans and everyone who has supported me in my career. Never did I intend to take a substance that would give me an unfair advantage on the field. It is solely my mistake and there are no excuses for my carelessness in not being fully informed of what I put in my body. My goal is to work through this setback and make it back in time to help my organization compete for another World Series title.
MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez reported that Mondesi will be eligible for this year's playoffs and any potential tiebreaker games the Royals might play.
Baseball America's J.J. Cooper noted that Mondesi's suspension is coming at a bad time for him based on his current performance at Double-A:
The 20-year-old made history last October when he became the first player in history to make his MLB debut in the World Series, striking out against New York Mets right-hander Noah Syndergaard in Game 3.
MLB.com ranked Mondesi as the Royals' No. 1 prospect coming into 2016. Kansas City has aggressively pushed him through the minors, as this is his second full season in Double-A. The team signed him as a non-drafted free agent when he was 16 years old in July 2011.
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