Raul Mondesi Suspended 50 games for a drug found in his cold medicine

Raul Mondesi a top prospect if not the top prospect of the Kansas City Royals has been suspended for 50 games for failing a drug test.

Mondesi was originally suspended for 80 games but the MLB and MLBPA dropped it to 50 after Mondesi showed the substance found was in his cold medicine. The drug program is zero tolerance, but on appeal suspensions can be reduced upon a showing of inadvertent ingestion. Mondesi will serve the 50 game and will be ineligible for the playoffs if he’s on the big club and the Royals make it to October again, but he’ll have 30 games less than some folks get. UPDATE: This is a mistake. Per an agreement between the league and the union, Mondesi will, in fact, be eligible for the playoffs if he’s on the 25-man roster and the Royals make the postseason. This is because the penalty was subject to a settlement given the unusual nature of this case and the appeal.

Royals GM Dayton Moore issued this statement:

“This is an unfortunate incident that we believe to be an innocent mistake, but these are the consequences that players face when they do not adhere to the policies that have been collectively bargained. We have a protocol in place with our medical team should a player ever have questions about what they may be taking, even if an over-the-counter medication. In this particular case the protocol was not followed and the consequences are such. We remain supportive of Raul Mondesi Jr.”

People always discount it when an athlete claims that his drug test came back positive due to his inadvertent ingestion of a banned substance, but in Modesi’s case it appears to be true. Tough luck.