Mets’ Cano banned for season because of PED

New York Mets second baseman Robinson Cano tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug and will be suspended for the entire 2021 season, sources told ESPN.

It is the second PED suspension for Cano, 38, who missed 80 games in 2018 after testing positive for a diuretic while with the Seattle Mariners.

A second positive results in an automatic 162-game suspension, according to the joint drug agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association. Cano will forfeit his $24 million salary.

Cano was traded to the Mets in a now-fateful December 2018 deal that sent top prospect Jarred Kelenic to the Seattle Mariners. After struggling in his first season with the team, he rebounded to hit .316/.352/.544 this season and was expected to play a significant role as the Mets play their first season under new owner Steve Cohen and new front-office management.

Cano, who signed a 10-year, $240 million deal with the Mariners, has two years and $48 million remaining on his contract. The Mariners will pay down $7.5 million of that.