José Zerpa, Mariners prospect, suspended for doping
Venezuelan pitcher José Zerpa, a prospect for the Seattle Mariners, has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Stanozolol, a banned substance. The sanction was announced this Friday by the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
Zerpa, 21 years old and originally from Yaracuy state, was playing with the Inland Empire 66ers, a Class A affiliate of the Mariners in the California League.
The young pitcher was having a good season as a reliever, with a 4-1 record and a 4.70 ERA in ten appearances before the suspension.
A Brake in His Career
Zerpa signed with the Seattle organization in 2023 with a minor league contract that included a $10,000 signing bonus. This suspension represents a setback for his development in the minor leagues and delays his aspirations of reaching the Major Leagues.
Zerpa’s suspension joins a growing list of players sanctioned this year for violating Major League Baseball’s anti-doping policies, being the seventh player in 2026 to receive a sanction for cases related to steroids or prohibited substances.
