Reds' Marte banned 80 games for PED violation

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance, the league announced Friday.

Marte, 22, debuted for Cincinnati last year, hitting .316 with three home runs in 35 games. He was expected to be a big part of this year’s team as the organization has high hopes of winning the NL Central with a young but talented position player group. Now, the Reds will be down a potential key player for half the season.

“The Reds fully support Major League Baseball’s drug policy and its penalties,” the team said in a statement. “We will have no further comment.”

Marte was acquired in 2022 in the trade that sent pitcher Luis Castillo to Seattle. He’s ranked 35th in ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel’s Top 100 prospects heading into this season. The Reds have other options at third base, including veteran Jeimer Candelario, who signed a long-term contract with the team this past winter.