NEW YORK – The long awaited suspensions that have been hovering over multiple Major League Baseball players were assessed on Monday afternoon according to a press release. Yankees’ third baseman Alex Rodriguez is the most prominent player suspended and he got the harshest penalty, a 211-game suspension through the 2014 regular season that is effective on Thursday.
The other 12 players all got 50-game suspensions for their involvement with the Biogenesis lab run by Anthony Bosch in Miami, Fla. They include Nelson Cruz and Jhonny Peralta, who both play prominent roles for teams that are ahead of Kansas City in the race for the postseason.
Full list of the other 12 players:
- Jhonny Peralta, shortstop for the Detroit Tigers
- Nelson Cruz, right fielder for the Texas Rangers
- Antonio Bastardo, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies
- Everth Cabrera, shortstop for the San Diego Padres
- Francisco Cervelli, catcher for the New York Yankees
- Jesus Montero, catcher for the Seattle Mariners (currently in AAA)
- Fautino De Los Santos, pitching prospect for the San Diego Padres
- Sergio Escalona, pitching prospect for the Houston Astros
- Fernando Martinez, outfield prospect for the New York Yankees
- Cesar Puello, outfield prospect for the New York Mets
- Jordany Valdespin, utility prospect for the New York Mets
- Jordan Noberto, currently a free agent
All 12 are suspended without pay and none are reported to be appealing their suspensions. Alex Rodriguez does plan to appeal according to a statement he released. It read in part that he is disappointed with his penalty and plans to fight MLB saying they have gone beyond their authority.
While the Royals are tied with Rodriguez’s Yankees in the American League Wild Card standings, they may be more concerned with the Texas Rangers, who currently sit a half-game out of the last wild card spot but have a four-game lead on the Royals. Cruz’s suspension is a big blow to the Rangers’ lineup that is only averaging 4.26 runs a game. Cruz lead the ball club with 27 home runs and 76 RBIs before his suspension.
Peralta started 103 games for the Detroit Tigers at shortstop and has played well all-around, sporting a .305 average at the plate and only committing four errors in the field. Detroit currently holds a 7.5 game lead over the Royals for first-place in the AL Central. The Tigers picked up an insurance policy in the event that Peralta was suspended when they traded for shortstop Jose Iglesias from the Boston Red Sox. Iglesias will assume every day duties in Peralta’s absence.
