Freddy Galvis gets 50-game PED suspension - MLB

Apparently, he’s the new Manny Alexander.

Injured Phillies infielder Freddy Galvis was suspended 50 games Tuesday after testing positive for Clostebol, a performance-enhancing substance.

In a statement, Galvis claimed that “a trace amount of a banned substances — 80 parts in a trillion — was detected in my urine sample” and that he’d never knowingly take a banned substance. He apologized to “all of my fans, especially here in Philadelphia and back home in Venezuela, to my teammates and to the Phillies organization.”

Taking over as the Phillies’ starting second baseman with Chase Utley out, Galvis was hitting .226/.254/.363 with three homers and 24 RBI in 190 at-bats when he suffered a back injury earlier this month. The injury was later diagnosed as a fractured vertebra and was expected to sideline Galvis for at least another month, if not for most of the rest of the season.

Galvis will be able to serve his suspension while on the disabled list, so it might not actually cost him any additional time. It will cost him about $150,000 in salary, though.

While Galvis’ offensive production was modest, it was still a somewhat pleasant surprise given his history. He had 19 extra-base hits in 190 at-bats for the Phillies, an average of one every 10 at-bats. In his four minor league seasons, he averaged one extra-base hit every 19.6 at-bats. His 15 doubles led the Phillies at the time of his injury.

Update: The Phillies have released a statement:

The Phillies continue to believe in and endorse Major League Baseball’s drug policy. We also support Freddy Galvis in his determination to put this matter behind him and we look forward to his return as a productive member of the Phillies as soon as possible.

After the suspension was announced, Galvis tweeted, in Spanish, about turning the page:

[tweet https://twitter.com/toco13fg/status/215190683571593216 align=’center’]

CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.