With the San Francisco Giants sitting 20 games under .500 and late-season opportunities awaiting on the horizon for the team’s prospects, there’s no better time to be a AAA player turning heads in the Giants’ organization.
The Giants’ No. 8 overall prospect, and No. 2 pitching prospect, Joan Gregorio, is one of the prospects who put himself in position for a Major League call-up. However, on Saturday, Gregorio was suspended for the remainder of the 2017 season for steroid use. According to MLB Pipeline, Gregorio was suspended for using Stanozolol, which is used by athletes to retain lean body mass.
Joan Gregorio (@RiverCats) has been suspended for rest of 2017 for testing positive for Stanozolol. #SFGiants No. 8: https://t.co/Ite1nuFnzG pic.twitter.com/uEHPHHzsm5
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) July 1, 2017
The Giants’ most polished starter at the AAA level, the 25-year-old right-hander led all Sacramento River Cats’ starting pitchers in earned run average, with a 3.04 mark that ranked in the top-three among all Pacific Coast League starters.
Gregorio may have had an opportunity to receive his first Major League call-up this week when Giants’ closer Mark Melancon went on the disabled list, but Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy said Wednesday that Gregorio was going to be out for about a month with a back injury.
Now, Gregorio has added insult to injury, as he’ll have to sit out the remainder of the 2017 season before receiving another opportunity to win back the trust of the organization next spring.
With Gregorio sidelined, the Giants called up right-hander Dan Slania to take Melancon’s place on the 25-man roster. Slania made his Major League debut in Pittsburgh on Friday evening, and threw a one-two-three ninth inning to finish off the Pirates in San Francisco’s 13-5 win.
Gregorio’s suspension could force Giants’ general manager Bobby Evans to consider adding pitching prospects at the trade deadline, because the majority of San Francisco’s most Major League-ready prospects are position players. The team’s top overall prospect, Tyler Beede, is struggling at AAA, but has pitched better of late and will likely make his Major League debut later this season.
In 74 innings this season, Gregorio has allowed 63 hits and issued 35 walks while striking out 63 batters.
