In stunning news, the Cincinnati Reds’ scheduled starting Noelvi Marte will be out for 80 games after being punished for PED use on Friday.
Noelvi Marte, the Cincinnati Reds’ anticipated starting third baseman, will be missing for nearly half of the season after being penalized 80 games for a PED violation.
The stunning report comes from Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Reds infielder Noelvi Marte was penalized 80 games for a PED violation.
Marte, one of many great players expected to join the Reds’ squad in 2024, made his major league debut in 2023. He appeared in 35 games for the Reds, hitting.316 with three home runs, fifteen RBI, and six stolen bases.
His absence alleviates Cincinnati’s abundance of infielders. Now, they can use Jeimer Candelario at third base, Elly De La Cruz at shortstop, Matt McLain at second base, and possibly Jonathan India/Christian Encarnacion-Strand at first.
Because he hasn’t played enough games to graduate from the MLB Top 100 prospect list, he begins the season as the No. 21 overall prospect in baseball (No. 1 in the club).
The following is a section of his MLB.com prospect profile:
Marte, who will be 22 years old for the entire 2024 season, is still a touch erratic as a player, but he made progress last season in terms of offensive consistency. When he reached Triple-A, the Reds encouraged him to make better swing decisions, and he demonstrated greater ability to make modifications, earning him a promotion to the major leagues. In the minors, he has never struck out much and has continued to draw walks, which will help him enhance his ability.
