Yankees minor league infielder Derek Dietrich has been suspended 50 games after testing positive for the stimulant DMPA.
Wow. MLB says it has suspended Derek Dietrich w/o pay for 50 games for testing positive for 1,4-dimethylpentylamine, or DMPA, which it says is a banned stimulant. Dietrich was at Triple-A w/ the Yankees.
— Brendan Kuty (@BrendanKutyNJ) August 5, 2022
Dietrich, 33, was batting .259 with nine home runs and 38 RBI across Double and Triple-A ball. He spent last season in the Yankees’ system as well as that of the Nationals. Prior to that, Dietrich played eight seasons with the Marlins, Reds, and Rangers. He hit a career-high 19 home runs for Cincinnati in 2019.
This is likely the end of the road for Dietrich, both with the Yankees and elsewhere. He was never a particularly strong player to begin with and had no clear path to the majors in New York’s system. Marwin Gonzalez is already capable as a utility man with the big league club. If he goes down, familiar face Tyler Wade will get called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre. Not to mention, the Yankees have shortstop prospect Oswald Peraza knocking on the door.
OTHER YANKEES STORIES ON ESNY:
• Yankees-Mariners series takeaways
• Check out this wild Gerrit Cole stat
• Yankees, Mets thoughts after MLB trade deadline
• Joey Gallo’s future unclear after Dodgers trade
• What to expect from Yankees’ new arms
Follow ESNY on Twitter @EliteSportsNY