Pirates relief pitcher suspended 80 games for PEDs

While the Pirates did not make many moves to bolster their bullpen this offseason, they were expected to get Edgar Santana back after he missed the 2019 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

That will not end up being the case, as the Pirates’ right-hander was suspended for 80 games Sunday for testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance.

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Since the 2020 season is scheduled to be just 60 games long, that means he will not pitch in the majors this year and he will not be eligible for the postseason if the Pirates qualify.

“The Pirates are disappointed to learn of today’s news that Edgar Santana has received an 80-game suspension as a result of a violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” Ben Cherington said in a statement. “Because of the confidentiality requirements of the Program, we will not have further comment on this matter.”

Santana pitched five perfect innings in spring training this year, striking out four. In 2018, he recorded a 3.26 ERA and 1.10 WHIP over 66.1 innings pitched before undergoing Tommy John surgery in September of that year.

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