Astros right-hander Francis Martes has been suspended for 162 games without pay by MLB for violating the league's Drug Prevention and Treatment Programs, the league announced Monday. Martes tested positive for Boldenone, which MLB considers to be a performance-enhancing substance.
Martes was previously suspended for a banned substance. Since this is his second offense, he's been suspended for an entire season.
"Throughout our system, players are educated through MLB's Drug Prevention and Treatment Programs," the Astros said in a Monday statement. "It is disappointing when any player is in violation of the policies that are in place. We hope that Francis will learn from this experience moving forward. The Astros continue to fully support Major League Baseball's Drug Prevention and Treatment Programs."
Martes, 24, is coming off Tommy John surgery and hasn't pitched in the majors since 2017. In his lone MLB season, he pitched to a 5.80 ERA across 28 relief appearances and four starts. He did not appear in the playoffs that year. Over the last two seasons, Martes has pitched a total of just 25 innings in the minors.
Martes' suspension occurs against the backdrop of the Astros' sign-stealing scandal, which still grips MLB and has dominated spring storylines. No Astros players received punishment for sign-stealing after cooperating with the league during its investigation.
