Reds infielder Noelvi Marte suspended 80 games for violating MLB’s PED policy

That’s one way to resolve an infield logjam. Cincinnati Reds infielder Noelvi Marte — the team’s top prospect and potential Opening Day third baseman — has reportedly been suspended for 80 games without pay after violating MLB’s performance-enhancing substance policy. Per Jesse Rogers of ESPN, the suspension stems from a positive test for Boldenone, an anabolic steroid and synthetic derivative of testosterone that’s become among the most common PEDs in professional sports.

Marte has not yet commented on the suspension, and it’s unclear as of yet whether he’ll appeal the league’s ruling. If this does indeed stand, it’s a huge blow for the Reds, as they had big plans for the 22-year-old this season. Among the team’s top prospects since Cincinnati acquired him from the Seattle Mariners in the Luis Castillo trade back in 2022, Marte finally made his much-anticipated big-league debut last August. He didn’t disappoint, either, slashing .316/.366/.456 (120 OPS+) with three homers and six steals in just 35 games.

That performance, plus his incredible physical tools — he ranked toward the top of the league in average exit velocity and sprint speed in his brief MLB cameo — put him on track to start for the Reds at third base on Opening Day, part of an infield youth movement alongside shortstop Elly De La Cruz, second baseman Matt McLain and first baseman/DH Christian Encarnacion-Strand. If there’s a small silver lining here for Cincinnati, it’s that they do have the infield depth to cover for Marte’s absence, especially after signing Jeimer Candelario to a three-year, $45 million deal over the winter. That contract looked like a curious allocation of resources at the time, but now it looks like a life-saver, as Candelario — along with Spencer Steer and De La Cruz — can cover the hot corner for the first half of the season.

Granted, Candelario’s ceiling isn’t nearly as high as Marte’s, who has some of the most impressive raw power of any current prospect. His approach at the plate is still somewhat raw, and figured to be exposed with a more extended look against Major League pitching. That’s the sort of thing that can only get ironed out with reps, reps that Marte won’t be able to get for the next few months as a result of this suspension. The Reds still have more than enough talent to contend in a wide-open NL Central, but their ceiling is certainly lower without Marte, and it remains to be seen how this might impact his career moving forward.