Royals outfielder Jorge Bonifacio has been suspended for 80 games without pay, the league announced Saturday. Bonifacio tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Boldenone; his first such violation. General manager Dayton Moore issued a statement following the decision (via MLB.com’s Jeffrey Flanagan):
Manager Ned Yost added that he felt “kind of sick to [his] stomach” thinking about the suspension, given Bonifacio’s role on the team and the connection he made with members of the organization.
The 24-year-old was in the mix to begin the season as the Royals’ starting right fielder, a responsibility he’ll forfeit until June at the earliest. He’s coming off of his first major league season with the club, during which he batted .255/.320/.432 with 17 home runs and a .752 OPS in 422 plate appearances. In his absence, the Royals should have an easier time assembling an outfield from some combination of Jon Jay, Alex Gordon, Jorge Soler, Paulo Orlando, Hunter Dozier and Bubba Starling.
