Baseball notes: Pirates’ Starling Marte suspended 80 games after testing positive for a PED

All-Star outfielder Starling Marte of the Pittsburgh Pirates has been suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

The league said Tuesday that Marte tested positive for the steroid Nandrolone. He will be eligible to return in mid-July.

Marte was an All-Star for the first time in his career in 2016 and moved from left field to center field in the offseason after winning his second Gold Glove. The 28-year-old from the Dominican Republic is hitting .241 with two home runs and seven RBIs this season. The Pirates began play on Tuesday 6-7 through the first two weeks of the season.

Marte said in a statement that “neglect and lack of knowledge led to this mistake.”

“With much embarrassment and helplessness, I ask for forgiveness for unintentionally disrespecting so many people who have trusted in my work and have supported me so much,” he said. “I promise to learn the lesson that this ordeal has left me.”

Pirates president Frank Coonelly he was “disappointed that Starling put himself, his teammates and the organization in this position.”

“We will continue to fight for the division title with the men who are here,” Coonelly said, “and will look forward to getting Starling back after the All-Star break.”

Barring postponements, Marte would be eligible to return for the July 18 home game against Milwaukee and would lose 91 days’ pay from his $5 million salary, which comes to $2,486,339. Under a change to baseball’s drug agreement in collective bargaining during the offseason, he doesn’t get paid on off days during the ban. Under the old agreement, he would have lost 80 days’ pay, which would have amounted to $2,185,782.

Another change in the drug agreement means Marte will not be credited for major league service during the suspension. That would have delayed his eligibility for free agency by a year until after the 2019 season, but he agreed in 2014 to a $31 million, six-year contract that includes club options for 2020 and ‘21.

Under the drug agreement, Marte is ineligible for the 2017 postseason if the Pirates were to advance.

It’s a task made considerably harder with Marte out of the mix for the next three months. Pittsburgh already is missing third baseman Jung Ho Kang, who remains in his native South Korea awaiting a work visa after being convicted of driving under the influence in February.

The Pirates recalled Jose Osuna from Triple-A Indianapolis ahead of their game Tuesday night in St. Louis.

Marte is the second player to be suspended this season for running afoul of the league’s drug policy. Philadelphia pitcher Elniery Garcia, who was on the Phillies’ 40-man roster but assigned to Double-A Reading, was suspended last week.

Buchholz has surgery

Right-hander Clay Buchholz of the Philadelphia Phillies had surgery for a torn flexor tendon in his right forearm and might be out for the rest of the season.

The two-time All-Star last pitched a week ago in Philadelphia, giving up six runs and eight hits in 21/3 innings against the New York Mets before the injury forced him to exit the game.

Buchholz, 32, spent his first 10 seasons with the Boston Red Sox before being traded to Philadelphia in December.

Happ is put on DL

Left-hander J.A. Happ was put on the 10-day disabled list by the Toronto Blue Jays because of a sore elbow.

Happ, who won 20 games for the first time last year, left Sunday’s start against Baltimore in the fifth inning.

He is 0-3 with a 4.50 ERA.

Etc.

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy, 62, had a procedure Monday to correct heart rhythm problems and won’t be with the team for a two-game series in Kansas City. He is expected to rejoin the team in Colorado on Friday. ... MLB and umpires are expected to discuss a plan for crew chiefs to wear a microphone and explain replay rulings, people familiar with the talks told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because an agreement has not been reached.

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