Melky Cabrera Suspended 50 Games
By Matt Shetler
Even though the Pittsburgh Pirates are currently in the worst skid of the season and the Los Angeles Dodgers sit only a half-game behind them for the National League’s final Wild Card spot, the Bucs actually could have received a bit of good news from the west coast.
If any team could use some good news right now, it may be the Pirates. But they may have received that it the form of San Francisco Giants’ outfielder Melky Cabrera being handed a 50-game suspension.
Why is that good news?
Well the Giants and Dodgers are currently tied for the lead in the West, which means they are also right on the Pirates heels as well.
Cabrera, the MVP of the 2012 All-Star Game, tested positive for testosterone and is suspended immediately.
Cabrera has the second-best batting average in the National League at .346, behind Andrew McCutchen’s .359, so that takes a big weapon out of the Giants lineup for the rest of the regular season.
So while people want to panic and jump ship, remember that there is a lot of baseball left to be played and a lot of strange things can happen the rest of the way.
This season is nowhere near over for the Pirates, who if you haven’t noticed are still holding onto the final playoff spot in the National League.
It’s hard to imagine San Francisco keeping up their current pace without Cabrera in the lineup, so even though the news doesn’t directly impact the Bucs, it’s good news for them nonetheless.