Former MLB outfielder Nate Schierholtz has reportedly been suspended 80 games, after testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug Ibutamoren.
Nate Schierholtz suspended 80 games after testing positive for Ibutamoren.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) August 5, 2016
The Associated Press reports that “studies have shown [Ibutamoren] can increase muscle mass.”
Schierholtz, 32, was released by the Detroit Tigers in May after putting up a .246/.280/.356 slash line in Toledo (Triple-A) this season. Last year, he played for the Hiroshima Carp in Japan.
But Schierholtz has put together a decent eight-year MLB career with his best season coming with the Chicago Cubs in 2013, when he hit 21 homers, had a .771 OPS, and was worth 1.9 WAR per FanGraphs. He was drafted in the second round of the 2003 draft by the San Francisco Giants, and spent his first six MLB seasons with them as a solid contributor. He also spent time with the Washington Nationals and Philadelphia Phillies.
Given Schierholtz’s age, decline in performance, and now the PED suspension, it would seem to be a pretty safe bet that we won’t see him on a major-league — and perhaps not even a minor-league — roster again.
