Marlins' Morales suspended for 80 games

Catching prospect banned for performance-enhancer Stanozolol

Roy Morales was on pace to set new career highs in home runs, RBIs and OPS before his suspension. (Mark LoMoglio/MiLB.com)

By Chris Tripodi

June 20, 2017

NEW YORK - Marlins catching prospect Roy Morales was suspended 80 games on Thursday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced that the 21-year-old catcher tested positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

NEW YORK - Marlins catching prospect Roy Morales was suspended 80 games on Thursday after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced that the 21-year-old catcher tested positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Morales, who was playing for Class A Advanced Jupiter, will begin his suspension immediately.
Minor League drug suspensions in 2017

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound backstop was hitting .288/.370/.356 with one home run, 15 RBIs and four stolen bases through 30 games for the Hammerheads. His .726 OPS represented a career high, but his numbers weren't too much different than those from 2016, when he posted a .288/.374/.341 slash line in 60 games with Class A Greensboro.
Morales was taken by Miami in the 12th round of the 2014 Draft out of Puerto Rico and is a career .276/.355/.327 hitter in 162 Minor League games.
Violations of the Minor League drug program have resulted in 45 suspensions in 2017.

Chris Tripodi is an editor for MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @christripodi.