Mariners’ Prospect Rollins Suspended 80 Games

Yet another promising Minor League prospect has been suspended for violating the league’s drug policy. MiLB.com reports that the Seattle Mariners’ No. 26th ranked prospect in their farm system, David Rollins, has been suspended for performance enhancing drugs. He is out for the first 80 games of the season. 

More from MLB Prospects

• Is Arizona Diamondbacks prospect Ivan Melendez the next Pete Alonso?
• Los Angeles Dodgers prospect talk: Catching up with Hunter Feduccia
• MLBPA secures major victory for Minor League Baseball players
• Phillies: Breaking down the prospects fighting for an Opening Day spot
• What the XFL can learn from minor league baseball

The suspension, unlike the other 40-plus prospects who have already been suspended this offseason for drug policy violations, is on the big league level since Rollins was part of the Mariners’ 40-man roster. It is a huge blow for the 25-year old lefty who looked like he finally had his chance at hitting the bigs on Opening Day.

Jack Zduriencik, the Seattle Mariners’ GM, released the following statement:

"”The Seattle Mariners are disappointed that David Rollins has violated the terms of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Our organization fully supports the Program and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from our game.”"

Rollins was drafted not once, but twice by the Mariners, first in 2009 and then in 2010. He wound up passing up both opportunities before signing with the Toronto Blue Jays after they drafted him in 2011. He was then traded to the Houston Astros in a five-prospect deal. He was left off the Astros’ 40-man roster this past offseason and the Mariners saw the lefty they had long coveted. They swooped in and grabbed Rollins in the Rule 5 Draft, immediately adding him to their 40-man roster which guaranteed a trip to spring training.

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

Rollins was a leading candidate to make the Mariners’ bullpen for 2015. Used as both a starter and reliever in his Minor League career, his versatility would have been invaluable to a Mariners’ team very ready to compete in 2015. He has a mid-90s fastball that sinks and causes confusion. He offsets his sinking fastball with a sharp slider that he controls well. He has a changeup that is a work in progress, but his two main pitches were dominant enough to work a few successful innings.

Rollins was having a stellar 2015 Spring Training. The lefty was 1-0 with a 1.13 ERA and 0.63 WHIP over 8 innings in 7 appearances out of the pen. He struck out 7 while walking none, all while allowing one run to cross the plate behind just five hits.

The Rule 5 Draft is tricky. Should the Mariners decided not to protect Rollins on the 40-man roster, he is returned to the Astros. Should they decide to keep him, they need to exhibit patience and hope that he can return looking sharp at the season’s midpoint.

The drug for which Rollins will miss half the season was Stanozolol. It is an anabolic steroid often used by veterinarians. Hopefully, Rollins can clean up his act and return to make a big league impression in 2015.