The New York Mets will be without relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia for a significant portion of the 2015 season.
MLB Communications passed along word Saturday that the Mets pitcher “received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Stanozolol.” ESPN's Adam Rubin also noted that Mejia would not be eligible for the postseason if the Mets make it, a rule that was changed before last season.
Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal shared a statement from Mejia:
Rubin also had a former player's take on Mejia claiming ignorance:
Joel Sherman of the New York Post provided the response from the Mets:
David Wright also voiced his opinion on Mejia's infraction, per Rubin:
"It's obviously disappointing. Not only do you cost yourself 80 games and don't get paid, but you're hurting everybody in here. You're letting down your teammates. That probably means just as much if not more than hurting yourself."
The 25-year-old Mejia appeared in 63 games for the Mets during the 2014 season and finished with a 6-6 record, 3.65 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 98 strikeouts in 93.2 innings pitched. He actually started seven games for New York last year but settled into a bullpen role and was expected to be a major factor near the end of games this season.
Sherman acknowledged that this is just the latest concern for the questionable Mets bullpen early in the 2015 campaign:
The Mets bullpen was actually one of the team's strong points last year, and it finished with the eighth-best ERA among bullpens in MLB. However, Mejia and Bobby Parnell, who had Tommy John surgery last year and is trying to return to form, were expected to be two key contributors this year.
Alas, the Mets will be without Mejia for quite some time, and the bullpen figures to suffer as a result.
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