Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that Seattle Mariners All-Star second baseman Robinson Cano has been given an 80 games ban after testing positive for a banned substance Furosemide. During that period of time, Cano won’t receive a pay and will be illegible for the postseason and All-Star game.
Robinson Cano issued a statement following the announcement, explaining that Furosemide was prescribed to him by a doctor in the Dominican Republic and that he didn’t know the medicine was among the banned substances. He also said he accepts the suspension and thanked his fans for the support.
“For more than 15 years, playing professional baseball has been the greatest honor and privilege of my life.” – said Cano in a statement released by the MLB Players Association. “I would never do anything to cheat the rules of the game that I love, and after undergoing dozens of drug tests over more than a decade, I have never tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance for the simple reason that I have never taken one.“
You can read his full statement below.
— Robinson Cano (@RobinsonCano) May 15, 2018
The ban comes just days after Robinson Cano fractured his hand in the game against Detroit Tigers. According to ESPN‘s sources, Cano underwent a surgery on Tuesday and could be out for six to eight weeks.
Seattle Mariners also issued a statement in expressing their support for the player.
“Robinson made a mistake,” – said the Mariners in the statement. “He has explained to us what happened, accepted the punishment and has apologized to the fans, the organization, and his teammates. We will support Robinson as he works through this challenge.“
Robinson Canó started his MLB career with the New York Yankees in 2005 and went on to receive five Silver Slugger awards and two Golden Glove awards during his nine years with the team. He also won World Series in 2009 with the Yankees. In 2014, he decided to join the Mariners, signing a 10-year, $240 million contract.
