DellaValle one of two Minor Leaguers banned
The Minor League Baseball season has a month and change left on its schedule, but two players will be ending their campaigns well before the final pitch is thrown.Cardinals right-hander Perry DellaValle was suspended 50 games after testing positive for a drug of abuse for the second time, according to
The Minor League Baseball season has a month and change left on its schedule, but two players will be ending their campaigns well before the final pitch is thrown.
Cardinals right-hander
DellaValle was selected by St. Louis in the 27th round of the 2018 MLB Draft and made his professional debut for the Rookie-level GCL Cardinals that summer, going 0-2 with a 1.97 ERA, 67 strikeouts and seven walks in 11 appearances -- seven starts -- spanning 45 2/3 innings. The 23-year-old was 5-6 in 20 appearances -- 19 starts -- this season, posting a 3.22 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 23 walks in 106 1/3 innings at Class A Advanced Palm Beach.
Frias was signed by the Rangers in December 2017 and debuted in the Dominican Summer League the following year, going 2-0 with a 2.67 ERA and 23-to-16 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 27 innings out of the Rookie-level DSL Rangers bullpen. He improved on those numbers this season before being released July 15, going 1-0 with a 0.77 ERA, 15 strikeouts and five walks in 23 1/3 innings of relief.
The suspensions of DellaValle and Frias bring the 2019 total of drug-related violations to 30.
Chris Tripodi is a producer for MiLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @christripodi.