Melkman switches to juice, dinged 50 games

The San Francisco Giants head into a marquee match-up with the Washington Nationals today without their starting left fielder, Melky Cabrera, who was suspended Wednesday for 50 games after testing positive for testosterone, a performance-enhancing drug.

According to CSNBayArea, the MLB released this statement after the news broke of Cabrera’s suspension:

“The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera has received a 50-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension of Cabrera is effective immediately.”

The Melkman later issued a statement admitting his wrongs and apologizing to not only his teammates and coaches, but also to Giants fans:

“My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used. I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and I will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down.”

This is the second suspension this season for the Giants roster after reliever Guillermo Mota was suspended for 100 games following a second positive drug test.

The Giants are currently tied for first place in the NL West with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

With 45 games scheduled to complete the Giants’ regular-season, Cabrera’s only shot at stepping back onto the diamond doesn’t come until the postseason.

Cabrera was recently crowned MVP of the MLB All-Star game, and was leading the major league with an outstanding 159 hits, 11 home runs and 69 RBIs.

The Melkman sparked a much-needed offensive surge to the Giants’ aching line-up since his addition this season. Since then, he had become a fan favorite and a shoe-in for a long-term contract in the upcoming off-season. Oops.

With this big loss to the lineup, the Giants hope to keep the momentum rolling throughout the remainder of the season without one of their leading offensive weapons.