Top Cardinals prospect Alex Reyes has been suspended 50 games following a "second positive test for a drug of abuse," MLB announced Monday. The suspension begins immediately.
Reyes, a 21-year-old right-hander, admitted to testing positive for marijuana in a statement.
"I take full responsibility for my actions and apologize for disappointing my family, friends, teammates and the St. Louis Cardinals organization," he said. "I acknowledge my inappropriate behavior and will accept the consequences."
Reyes is not on the team's 40-man roster and is thus subject to the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, which is different from MLB's program. Non-40-man players are tested for marijuana and other drugs of abuse. MLB players are not.
This past season Reyes went 5-7 with a 2.49 ERA and a 151/49 K/BB in 101 1/3 innings at mostly High Class A and Double-A. MLB.com ranks Reyes as the 16th best prospect in all of baseball.
Reyes was in the midst of participating at the Arizona Fall League.
>>Pujols Out Five Months After Foot Surgery
Angels slugger Albert Pujols will be sidelined 4 1/2 months after undergoing surgery on his right foot last week, the team announced Monday.
Alden Gonzalez of mlb.com says the surgery was to repair a plantar plate on his right big toe. Pujols spent his last 28 regular-season games at DH with pain on that foot.
The 4 1/2 month timetable means Pujols will not be ready for the start of spring training. It puts him on track to resume baseball activities at the end of March, putting Opening Day very much in doubt.
Pujols, 35, hit .244/.307/.480 (118 OPS+) with 40 home runs and 95 RBI in 2015. It was his first 40-homer season since 2010 with the Cardinals. Pujols played only 95 of 157 games at first base. The rest were at DH.
>>Former Braves Pitcher, Tommy Hanson, Dies at 29
Former Braves and Angels right-hander Tommy Hanson has died. He was 29. Further details surrounding Hanson's death are unknown at this time.
CBS Sports MLB Insider Jon Heyman confirmed Hanson was in a coma Monday night. Zack Klein of WSB in Atlanta first reported the news.
Hanson last pitched in MLB in 2013. He went 21-15 with a 3.16 ERA (126 ERA+) for the Braves from 2009-10 before dealing with numerous arm injuries. Hanson went 28-20 with a 4.36 ERA (89 ERA+) from 2011-13.
While with the Angels in 2013, Hanson spent three weeks away from the team following the death of his stepbrother. Hanson was two years older than his stepbrother, who died at age 24.
Hanson spent 2015 in the minor leagues with affiliates for the Giants. He went 4-6 with a 4.76 ERA in 15 starts, mostly at Triple A.
>>Twins Win Bid For Korean Slugger
The Minnesota Twins won the bidding rights to Korean slugger Byung Ho Park for a $12.85 million posting fee, as Daniel Kim of Daum and Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reported.
The posting system provides the fee to Park's KBO team, the Nexen Heroes. The Twins will now work on a contract with Park and they must agree to terms within 30 days or he'll stay in Korea and the Twins won't have to pay the $12.85M.
Park, 29, is a first baseman who has shown major power in Korean Baseball Organization. Last season, in 140 games, he hit .343/.436/.714 with 35 doubles, 53 homers and 146 RBI.
>>Dodgers Asking Puig To Shed Weight in Offseason
Thanks mostly to a series of hamstring problems, Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was limited to only 79 games in 2015. He also hit .255/.322/.436 (109 OPS+) with 11 home runs, easily the worst offensive season in his three years as a big leaguer.
Getting Puig healthy and on the field for 150+ games is a priority for the Dodgers, so the team wants him to reshape his body and lose some weight this offseason. They want a leaner Puig in 2016. From
“That's a focus,” said Andrew Friedman, the team's president of baseball operations.
Puig is in regular contact with Brandon McDaniel, the team's strength and conditioning coach.
Puig, 25 next month, is listed at 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds on the team's official site. He's not necessarily overweight, but he's a large man with a thick frame, and trimming down a bit may help him stay healthy and tap into that freakish athleticism. The extra bulk is a problem.
>>Indians Star Brantley Out 5-6 Months After Shoulder Surgery
The Cleveland Indians have announced that star outfielder Michael Brantley underwent surgery on his right shoulder Monday morning and his recovery time is expected to be five to six months.
Six months from right now is May 9.
Brantley, 28, hit .310/.379/.480 (130 OPS+) with 15 homers, 84 RBI, 15 steals and an MLB-best 45 doubles last season. He walked more than he struck out (60 walks to 51 strikeouts), too. In 2014, he finished third in the AL in MVP voting.
So, yes, this is a huge blow to the Indians. Even a speedy recovery puts Brantley's status for the beginning of the season in doubt.
Without Brantley, the Indians right now are left with Lonnie Chisenhall, Abraham Almonte and Jerry Sands are their projected starting outfield.
