NEW YORK (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers catcher Pedro Severino has been suspended for 80 games following a positive drug test. He was expected to serve as the main backup to 2021 All-Star Omar Narváez.
The commissioner’s office says Severino tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Clomiphene. The women’s fertility drug has been used by some athletes to counter side effects of steroids use.
Severino apologized to the Brewers, teammates and fans. He says he and his wife are trying to start a family and that one of the doctors he consulted with prescribed the medication to treat infertility issues. The 28-year-old is in his first season with the Brewers after playing for Washington and Baltimore.
Elsewhere around the majors:
— Outfielder Manuel Margot has agreed to a $19 million, two-year contract with the Tampa Bay Rays. The deal includes salaries of $7 million in 2023, up from the $5.6 million the 27-year-old is due to earn this season, and $10 million in 2024. It also includes a $12 million mutual option in 2025 or a $2 million buyout. Margot would have been eligible for free agency after this season. He was obtained in a trade from the San Diego Padres in February 2020 and has played all three outfield positions over two seasons with the Rays.
— New York Mets ace Max Scherzer says his hamstring is feeling much better and that he’s ready to pitch Friday night against Washington in the second game of the season. The Mets haven’t yet said who would start on opening day Thursday at Nationals Park. Washington traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers late last season.
— The San Francisco Giants will open defense of their NL West title without two key components. Third baseman Evan Longoria and outfielder/first baseman LaMonte Wade Jr. will begin the season on the injured list. The Giants are optimistic that first baseman Brandon Belt will be ready to start of the season Friday at home against Miami. Belt reported to camp with swelling in his right knee.
— The New York Yankees plan to carry 16 pitchers on their opening-day roster Thursday against the Boston Red Sox. Manager Aaron Boone says switch-hitting utilityman Marwin González will play a key role off the shortened bench. Teams are allowed to carry 28 players on the roster during April due to the shortened spring training.
— Newly acquired Detroit Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows is expected to be ready for opening day Friday against the Chicago White Sox after recently being slowed by an oblique injury. Meadows was acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night for infielder Isaac Paredes and a draft pick.
— The Los Angeles Dodgers and veteran right-hander Dellin Betances have agreed to a minor league contract, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team hadn’t announced it. The 34-year-old Betances made four All-Star teams in eight seasons with the New York Yankees but hasn’t been a reliable contributor since 2018. He’s only appeared in 17 games over the past three seasons and pitched just once for the Mets last year due to shoulder surgery. Over 10 seasons, Betances is 21-23 with a 2.53 ERA and 36 saves.
— In a move that will end a tradition dating 150 years, Major League Baseball has approved the use of an electronic device for catchers to signal pitches in an effort to eliminate sign stealing and speed games. As video at ballparks increased, so did sign stealing.
