The Milwaukee Brewers suffered a serious blow on Tuesday, as they lost their backup catcher for the next 80 games.
“Brewers C Pedro Severino has been suspended 80 games without pay following a positive test for Clomiphene, a banned substance under MLB’s PED prevention program,” MLB.com’s beat writer for the Brewers Adam McCalvy tweeted on Tuesday.
Brewers C Pedro Severino has been suspended 80 games without pay following a positive test for Clomiphene, a banned substance under MLB's PED prevention program.
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) April 5, 2022
Severino had signed a $1.9 million deal back in November to be the primary backup for Omar Narvaez, but those plans are out the window now, at least for the first half.
He had been enjoying a solid spring training, with a .435 batting average, three doubles and two home runs in eight Cactus League games.
Now, Mario Feliciano or Brett Sullivan are expected to be the Brewers’ backup backstop for the first three months of the season.
Severino is not the first player to receive a suspension during spring training.
A Solid Backup Catcher For The Brewers Won’t Be Able To Take The Field Anytime Soon
Severino’s primary attribute is not his bat, but he was able to put a .248 average with 11 home runs and 46 RBI last season with the Baltimore Orioles.
He wasn’t a particularly good framer or defender either, at least according to the numbers, but he offers plenty of MLB experience for one of the best pitching staffs in the league.
He is actually a solid backup catcher for a contending MLB team, and that’s precisely what the Brewers thought at the time of replacing the outgoing Manny Pina when he left via free agency.
He won’t be on the field for at least a few months, though, so Milwaukee won’t actually benefit from said experience for the next 80 games.
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