No. twenty four walked up to the plate — donning Associate in Nursing all-black uniform with a inexperienced hat, braids in his hair and Estrellas on his chest — for his season debut within the Dominican Winter League.
Robinson Cano was back on the piece of ground in the week, one year once testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug and obtaining suspended from MLB for the 2021 season, creating his winter ball debut for the Estrellas Orientales in his home country.
Cano went 1-for-4 because the slugger with one and a out on Wednesday because the Estrellas beat Tigres del Licey, 3-1. He was conjointly prohibited for PEDs for eighty games throughout the 2018 season as a member of the metropolis Mariners.
The veteran infielder can return on the books for the Mets in 2022 and 2023. He are going to be owed $20 million every of successive 2 seasons, and it remains unclear however the Mets will play Cano within the remaining years of his contract. Earlier in the week at the gramme conferences, team president Sandy Alderson would solely ensure that Cano would be back with the Mets at preseason in Feb, declining to feature any clarity on his future role on the listing.
Then-GM Brodie Van Wagenen noninheritable Cano and nearer king navigator from the Mariners in an exceedingly Dec. 2018 trade that sent high prospects Jarred Kelenic and Justin Dunn, among others, to Seattle.
Cano, 39, slashed .275/.321/.463 with Associate in Nursing OPS+ of 109 in his 1st 2 seasons (156 games) as a Met. once a unsatisfactory 2019, he bounced back in 2020 and have become one amongst the Mets’ best hitters within the pandemic-shortened season, touch a lot of like he did in his youth, batting .316 and posting a .896 Ops with ten home runs and thirty tally in forty nine games.
If the Mets this offseason sign Javier Baez to play second base aboard his smart friend, Francisco Lindor, a spot on the listing for Cano becomes less obvious. Though, if the slugger involves the National League needless to say next season, Cano will definitely be useful as a DH possibility. It’s laborious to imagine the Mets hoping on Cano as a regular infielder, notably if keeping Baez in Queens could be a priority for the club.
Cano has not publically spoken regarding his PED suspension since MLB proclaimed his positive check for Stanozolol in Nov. 2020. it’ll be fascinating to examine however he are going to be received within the Mets building and by his fans at Citi Field.
“I assume however he’s received can rely on however he conducts himself and explains himself between currently and preseason,” Alderson aforesaid at the gramme conferences.
Cano denote on Instagram, once taking part in within the Dominican Winter League: “We ar back! thanks to my city of San Pedro and country for forever supporting. i actually are operating laborious for you – my fans. it absolutely was nice to be back within the game.”
“We were very foiled to learn regarding Robinson’s suspension for violating league Baseball’s Joint Drug hindrance and Treatment Program,” Alderson aforesaid in an exceedingly statement on Nov. 18, 2020. “The violation is incredibly unfortunate for him, the organization, our fans, and also the sport. The Mets totally support MLB’s efforts toward eliminating performance enhancing substances from the sport.”
