An oblique strain was already delaying Tanner Houck’s season debut. It appears like he may suffer even more setbacks in his first game of 2018.
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said on Friday afternoon that the top Red Sox prospect, who tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, has been suspended for 80 games. The suspension takes effect right away. If there are no postponements or cancellations, Chavis can rejoin the Double-A Portland roster on June 26.
The team released a statement saying, “The Boston Red Sox fully support Major League Baseball and the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Programme.” “Although we are sad to hear about this infraction, we will work to give Michael the help he needs. The club will not be making any more comments on the issue moving forward.”
In a tweet of his own, Tanner Houck said that he was taking the punishment as it was given and that he had not intentionally taken any prohibited substances.
“Over the past several months, I have been searching for an answer as to how a prohibited substances I have never heard of, DHMCT, was detected in my urine during the off-season,” he stated in a letter. “Unfortunately, there hasn’t been a response to this question, and I’m out of time to find one. Despite how hopeless I feel about it, I have to accept that maybe I never will. All I know for sure is that I would never, and have never, intentionally used any illegal substance in my life.”
Tanner recently had a breakthrough season that propelled him into the top 100 prospect rankings on MLB.com. Despite not having an OPS above.711 in his first two complete seasons at Class A Greenville, Chavis—a first-round selection in 2014—bubbled onto the surface in his last season. The 22-year-old third baseman split 126 games between Class A Advanced Salem and Double-A Portland, hitting.282/.347/.563 with 31 home runs, 15 more than his previous career high. He played his last games of the season in the Arizona Fall League, where he was a strong hitter for Peoria, hitting.261/.327/.478 with four home runs in 23 games.
