According to Rob Biertempfel, minor league infielder Kevin Ross has been suspended 50 games for his second positive test for a drug of abuse. Ross was an eighth round draft pick of the Pirates in 2012 out of high school and signed for a $130,000 bonus.
The 21-year-old spent the 2014 season with Jamestown, hitting .265/.281/.352 in 44 games. Ross was selected for the NYPL All-Star game. He was a shortstop in high school, then played mostly third base after signing, and in 2014 he moved to first base. Ross spent most of the 2013 season on the restricted list, which is used both for players who fail drug tests and if a player violates his contract terms. The reason was never announced.
Ross was placed on the West Virginia Power roster this off-season, so his suspension will begin on Opening Day of the minor league season.
MLB suspends #Pirates minor league 1B Kevin Ross 50 games for second positive test for a drug of abuse. He's on @wv_power roster.
— RobBiertempfel (@RobBiertempfel) January 28, 2015
John started working at Pirates Prospects in 2009, but his connection to the Pittsburgh Pirates started exactly 100 years earlier when Dots Miller debuted for the 1909 World Series champions. John was born in Kearny, NJ, two blocks from the house where Dots Miller grew up. From that hometown hero connection came a love of Pirates history, as well as the sport of baseball.
When he didn't make it as a lefty pitcher with an 80+ MPH fastball and a slider that needed work, John turned to covering the game, eventually focusing in on the prospects side, where his interest was pushed by the big league team being below .500 for so long. John has covered the minors in some form since the 2002 season, and leads the draft and international coverage on Pirates Prospects. He writes daily on Pittsburgh Baseball History, when he's not covering the entire system daily throughout the entire year on Pirates Prospects.
We took on Andrew lambo shortly after failing for a recreational drug. He was a much higher prospect though when we acquired him.
Do we have any idea what for what drug he tested?
We have a vague idea, but there is a big difference between the drugs on the list. The minor league drug prevention program lists marijuana, LSD, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin or any type of opiates, as drugs of abuse. I know of two players that failed for synthetic marijuana, which they thought was fine to use because it was legal at the time. Turns out it wasn’t okay by the minor league standards and they served their suspension time for it.
In the bigger picture view: Seems the kid may need some help. Hopefully he gets it
Or if it is marijuana he needs to decide what is more important, hitting the bong or playing baseball. These kids kill me with the weed. We all have gone through it and if you know you will be tested, you have to put it down!
So is he talented enough that the Pirates keep him or will they decide to cut him because they feel it is going to be an on-going issue?
He isn’t a top prospect and wasn’t considered for our top 50, so there is a chance this could be the last straw. The Pirates cut Michael Clemens last week and he failed a drug test for HGH during the end of the season. He was a draft pick from this year, although he didn’t get anywhere near the bonus that Ross got.
HGH is cheating recreational drugs are not so it is OK if they keep him.
I don’t think that is how they will base their decision
I understand that.