Emmanuel Clase suspended for 80 games

Cleveland Indians pitcher Emmanuel Clase has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a performance enhancing substance.

The immediate returns of the Corey Kluber trade have not been great. Emmanuel Clase is receiving an 80 game suspension after testing positive for Boldenone.

Boldenone is a performance enhancing substance that should sound familiar to Indians fans. Former outfielder Abraham Almonte received an identical suspension after testing positive for Boldenone. The most recent case before Clase was Diamondbacks infielder Domingo Leyba, also receiving an 80 game suspension.

Emmanuel Clase was going to miss 8-12 weeks due to an injury in late February. Clase’s suspension means that the Tribe will be without the flame throwing reliever once baseball returns. This could present quite a problem for the Indians. Cleveland’s bullpen is not necessarily the most inspiring group and now that they will be without Clase for 80 games. This will make things fairly difficult as they were depending on Clase as a key cog in their bullpen.

Earlier this offseason, Cleveland sent Corey Kluber to Texas for Emmanuel Clase and Delino DeShields. The fact that the highlight player for Cleveland in the trade will miss time due to a PED suspension is not a good look. The trade itself was unpopular and now not being able to use one of the players due to a suspension will be a cause for even more negativity among the fanbase.