Pitcher with prominent place in Mariners lore derails MLB comeback with PED ban

Pending your level of passion (or perhaps obsession) for the Mariners, there's a good chance you're familiar with the name Domingo Acevedo. He's the pitcher who gave up the Cal Raleigh home run in 2022, which ended the M's playoff drought dating back 21 years:

Well, Acevedo is now infamous for another reason, and in the process might have sabotaged his attempts to return to the majors. As confirmed in a press release by MLB.com on Wednesday, Acevdeo has been suspended for 80 games without pay after testing positive for Stanozolol. The ban begins with immediate effect.

The 32-year-old was attempting a comeback with the Rockies organization following a couple of years pitching mostly in Mexico. He signed a minor league deal back in April and was assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque. They had been utilizing him mostly as a starter, but he looked poor regardless, as highlighted by a 5.81 ERA and 1.452 WHIP in 31.0 combined innings.

Acevedo is the eighth player disciplined this year for a drug violation. It is his first offense, meaning he can continue to pursue his career once the suspension concludes. However, you do have to wonder if this will prove to be a fatal setback, with teams less likely to give him a chance.

From Yankees international prospect with a promising future, to an uncertain future in baseball

The Dominican Republic native first came onto the radar in 2013, when the Yankees signed him as an international free agent. Standing at 6-foot-7 he made for an imposing presence on the mound, especially with a fastball capable of reaching 98 mph. In 2019 FanGraphs rated him as a prospect with good command and a future as a two-pitch reliever, if he could remain healthy.

Acevedo never got the chance to fulfill his potential in New York and following the cancellation of the 2020 minor league season due to COVID-19, he signed with the Athletics. He finally made his Big League debut in 2021 and a year later saw his most substantial action in the majors, as he became a significant part of the bullpen in Oakland with 70 appearances. He went on to produce a 3.33 ERA, 112 ERA+ and a 0.990 in 67.2 combined innings.

Unfortunately for Acevedo, this proved to be the high point of his time with the Athletics, as he struggling the following year in both the majors and Triple-A, before being released in August. Now, his future is in doubt following the PED suspension and while we don't know the full details, it would be a shame if this represents the conclusion of his baseball story in North America.

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