Major League Baseball has suspended Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Chris Colabello for failing a performance-enhancing-drug test.
MLB announced Colabello’s 80-game suspension Friday. Blue Jays radio announcer Mike Wilner reported Colabello tested positive for a PED known as dehydrochlormethyltestosterone.
Colabello issued a statement shortly after the announcement, per Brendan Kennedy of the Toronto Star:
Toronto general manager Ross Atkins also provided a statement, per SportsCentre:
Blue Jays manager John Gibbons told reporters how he found out about Colabello’s suspension and spoke about the team’s subsequent moves, per Hazel Mae of Sportsnet Connected:
Per Mae, Gibbons also addressed his relationship with Colabello:
Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar came to Colabello’s defense, saying, “He’s not a cheater. He got caught up in a flawed system,” per Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun.
Colabello’s breakout 2015 was one of the feel-good stories in MLB. He spent seven seasons in the independent leagues from 2005 to 2011 before signing with the Minnesota Twins in 2012. His MLB debut came in 2013, though he hit just .214/.284/.364 in 114 games over his first two seasons.
Colabello was one of MLB’s biggest surprises in 2015, playing an integral role in the Blue Jays’ first division title and playoff appearance in 22 years. He hit .321/.367/.520 with 19 doubles and 15 home runs in 101 games.
This year, however, has not gone well for the 32-year-old, who is hitting a paltry .069/.156/.069 with two singles and nine strikeouts in 29 at-bats.
Moving forward, the Blue Jays have Justin Smoak and Edwin Encarnacion ready to play first base. Encarnacion is the superior hitter, though Gibbons could keep him at designated hitter and use Smoak’s superior glove in the field to get by until Colabello returns.
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