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MLB has suspended San Francisco Giants All-Star Melky Cabrera for 50 games after the outfielder tested positive "for testosterone," the league announced Wednesday.
His suspension is effective immediately.
Cabrera's violation of the league's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program will cost him the rest of the regular season. Andrew Baggarly of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area tweeted that Cabrera will be eligible to play if the Giants make it to a fifth game in the postseason.
Now told by MLB officials that yes, Melky Cabrera is eligible for the playoffs after 50 games. So would have to sit out first four games.
— Andrew Baggarly (@CSNBaggs) August 15, 2012
A follow-up Tweet confirms it's actually five games. San Francisco currently sits first in the NL West with a 64-53 record.
The MVP of the All-Star game this season, Cabrera was batting .346, the second-best clip in the National League. He leads the NL with 159 hits and 60 RBI. Here's a look at the league's official release on the 28-year-olds' punishment:
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera has received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
The suspension of Cabrera is effective immediately.
Unquestionably, this hurts the Giants, who just had Pablo Sandoval come back from an extended injury, and have now lost a player who is arguably much more valuable. Holding first place was always going to be a challenge, but now the Giants will need to work much harder to secure the NL West.
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