When MLB hit Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal with suspension over testosterone usage

Yasmani Grandal is a two-time All-Star who currently plays for the Chicago White Sox.

Back when Grandal was playing for the San Diego Padres in November 2012, a controversial piece about him came out which revealed that the player was taking testosterone and tested positive for it as well.

MLB punished the catcher and had him suspended for 50 games for failing the drug test. At the time, he was one of the youngest MLB players to be suspended by MLB.

He said the following to USA Today when asked about the circumstances that led to his suspension:

"I must accept responsibility for my actions and serve my suspension, I apologize to the fans, my teammates, and to the San Diego Padres. I was disappointed to learn of my positive test and under the Joint Drug Program I am responsible for what I put into my body."

Considering the catcher was only 23 at the time, he had the sympathy of fans as they considered that he might not have known better. Grandal also took full responsibility for his actions.

When Yasmani Grandal said he had a high standard for himself.

Chicago White Sox v Cleveland Guardians

Yasmani Grandal suffered a knee injury in the 2022 season which led to many feeling anxious about the 2023 season. He had only managed 27 RBIs, a .570 OPS, and .202 five homers, which led to this uncertainty.

However, in a recent interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Yasmani Grandal revealed how confident he was in his abilities this season. He said:

“I lost a lot of that feel last year, not being able to consistently barrel the ball. And now, since I’m consistently barreling it, it’s almost new because it’s been about a year since doing that, right?”

The catcher added:

“I have really high standards for what I should be doing and how I should be doing certain things. I’m hard on myself when it comes to doing those things.”

Grandal continued with:

“The fact that I’m able to move through the bottom while I’m catching, being agile back there, being strong, having my legs underneath me, it’s going to allow me to do many things behind the plate. Whether it’s blocking, receiving or throwing, whatever it is that I need to do. From that aspect of the game, it feels really good.”

White Sox fans will be keeping an eye on Yasmani Grandal to see if he lives up to his words.