Robinson Cano has been suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball. The Seattle Mariners will lose their second baseman even longer than before. It was just revealed by MLB that Cano failed a recent drug test and it violated the league policy for PED use. Cano has already issued a statement of his own, stating that he was using a drug for a medical issue while in the Dominican Republic, which ended up causing him to fail this test.

While this isn't the typical PED suspension, as already confirmed by Major League Baseball, the drug that Robinson Cano reportedly used is still on the list of banned substances.

There is no way around the suspension either, as the league tests more than one sample just to make sure that there is a very slim chance of a false-positive. It means there is no recourse for Cano or the Mariners in this instance, and that he is heading to the MLB suspended list.

When does Cano suspension begin?

It was just revealed on MLB Network that the Robinson Cano suspension is effective immediately. This means that even though Cano is now on the disabled list, that he will begin his suspension. That's some slightly good news for the Mariners, as it means he could return sooner than anticipated. It also means that Cano will return before the end of the 2018 MLB season, provided any possible surgery performed on his hand has had enough time to recover.

How does this relate to the team payroll?

The $24 million salary for Cano is in place for the 2018 MLB season. While he serves his 80-game suspension for failing the PED test, he will not get paid by the Seattle Mariners. This means that the franchise now has some money that it can use to improve the pitching rotation. It will be roughly $12 million that becomes available, possibly opening the door for the team to acquire a new starting pitcher before the MLB trade deadline.

That's certainly closer to becoming a reality with all the extra space under their self-imposed salary cap.

Fans are let down

Many Seattle Mariners fans, including the author of this article, have had to defend Robinson Cano and whether or not he has lived up to the 10-year, $240 million free-agent deal he signed with the team.

The apparent lack of hustle down the first-base line and the ease with which he plays defense have also put Mariners fans in the crossfire. An 80-game suspension has already led to a backlash on social media by self-professes Cano "haters" who see this as an easy way to cut him down.

As for Robinson Cano, a suspension of this sort could really hurt his campaign to make the Baseball Hall of Fame. Has he forever tarnished his legacy by taking a diuretic? Only time will tell. In the short-term, he has already let down a number of fans. It's time to start playing highlights of that James Paxton no-hitter to silence the suspension news.
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