Almonte, 26, was expected to start in centre field for the Indians this season, but it was confirmed on Friday he had returned a positive test for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenone.
Advertisement
The Indians acquired Almonte from the San Diego Padres at the trade deadline last season.
The 26-year-old outfielder will not be allowed to play in regular season games until July, but can play in spring training. Per the protocol outlined by Major League Baseball’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, we will not comment further on the circumstances surrounding this announcement. An 80-game suspension means this is Almonte’s first violation of the drug policy. 250 with five home runs and 24 runs batted in. The switch-hitting Almonte was scheduled to be the Tribe’s opening day center fielder this year, but that has changed. So did his clubhouse presence. “He did a really good job of solidifying that”.
With Almonte now out of commission for the first four months, Chernoff said the Indians will exhaust all options as they continue to put together their outfield. Now, the club will lean more heavily on Davis, and perhaps Colin Cowgill and Will Venable, who was signed to a minor league deal and joined the team Friday.
Advertisement
“It’s extremely disappointing”, Chernoff said.
