Noelvi Marte, a highly regarded prospect in baseball, will miss the Cincinnati Reds’ Opening Day lineup due to an unexpected setback.
MLB disclosed on Friday that Marte received an 80-game suspension without pay for testing positive for Boldenone, a banned performance-enhancing substance. His suspension will commence on Opening Day, rendering him ineligible to play until late June at the earliest.
“The Reds fully support Major League Baseball’s drug policy and its penalties,” stated the team in a release. “We will have no further comment.”
Marte, aged 22, made his debut last season and posted impressive stats with a .284/.351/.449 slash line, along with eight home runs and 13 doubles in 35 games. He was poised to be the Reds’ starting third baseman for the upcoming season.
The Reds are slated to kick off the 2024 MLB campaign on March 28 against the Washington Nationals.
