How Will Manny Ramirez's PED Suspension Return Compare to Other MLB Players?

Manny Ramirez is in line to return to Major League Baseball on May 30th, and nobody has any clue what to expect.

Manny didn't look so good when we last saw him. He signed on to be the Tampa Bay Rays' primary DH before the 2011 season, and he managed to record one hit in 17 at-bats with the Rays before pulling the plug on his career.

We would eventually find out that he chose to retire because he was about to be suspended for 100 games by Major League Baseball for a second positive PED test in two years.

That was over a year ago. What we're soon going to find out is whether or not a year off from baseball (and a reduced 50-game suspension) has been a blessing, a curse or neither.

That's anybody's guess. We can, however, look back to how other players fared after returning from lengthy PED suspensions and see if there are any noticeable trends.

Let's take a walk through the Hall of Shame.

Note: Baseball-Almanac.com has a list of MLB players who have been suspended for PEDs since 2005, the first year MLB started disciplining players for positive tests.

Guillermo Mota

Background

Guillermo Mota was one of the first players to get hit with a 50-game suspension when MLB lowered the hammer on him after the 2006 season, when he was still with the New York Mets. In a statement, he did not say what led to his positive test, but he did accept full responsibility and promised it would never happen again, according to the USA Today.

Before Suspension

Mota had an ERA of 1.00 in 18 appearances for the Mets after joining the team toward the end of the season. From the start of his career in 1999 through the end of the 2006 season, he had an ERA of 3.70 and a K/9 of 7.3.

After Suspension

Mota made his 2007 debut on May 30th. He went on to post a 5.76 ERA in 52 appearances. From 2008 until 2012, however, he posted an ERA of 3.94 in 236 appearances. Per FanGraphs, his fastball velocity declined but not drastically.

Where Is He Now?

As reported by the USA Today, Mota was suspended for 100 games earlier this month for failing a second PED test. So much for his promise never to let it happen again.

Mike Cameron

Background

Mike Cameron's situation in 2007 was not the norm as far as PED suspensions go. As reported by MLB.com, Cameron tested positive for a banned stimulant, and he explained that the test was most likely triggered by a tainted supplement. He was only suspended for 25 games.

Before Suspension

In 2007 as a member of the San Diego Padres, Cameron hit .242 with 21 home runs. From the start of his career in 1995 through the end of the 2007 season, he was a .251 hitter who hit roughly 20 home runs a season.

After Suspension

Cameron served out his suspension at the start of the 2008 season after signing on with the Milwaukee Brewers, making his debut on April 29th. He went on to hit .243 with 25 home runs. The next season was his final year as an everyday player, and he hit .250 with 24 home runs.

Where Is He Now?

Cameron called it a career earlier this season.

Eliezer Alfonzo

Background

After logging significant time with the San Francisco Giants in 2006 and 2007, Eliezer Alfonzo tested positive for a PED when he was in the minor leagues in April of 2008, per a report from the Associated Press. He was suspended for 50 games.

Before Suspension

Alfonzo played in 113 games in 2006 and 2007, hitting .263 with 13 home runs. He saw most of that action in 2006, when he hit .266 with 12 home runs. 

After Suspension

Alfonzo only played in five games for the Giants in 2008 after his suspension was over, notching one hit in 11 at-bats. He's appeared in 75 games for three different organizations since then, hitting .213 with four home runs and a .287 slugging percentage.

Where Is He Now?

Alfonzo is in the Colorado Rockies organization, and he was hit with a 100-game suspension for a second positive PED test last season. However, the ban has since been dropped due to the same procedural issues that led to Ryan Braun's dropped suspension. According to the AP, Alfonzo served 15 games of his suspension last year and 33 this year.

Sergio Mitre

Background

In January of 2009, it was announced that then-New York Yankees hurler Sergio Mitre would be suspended for 50 games for a positive PED test. According to ESPN.com, Mitre claimed the test was triggered by a legal supplement that he bought at a GNC.

Before Suspension

Mitre didn't play in the majors in 2008 due to Tommy John surgery. He appeared in 78 games between 2003 and 2007, making 52 starts. He made 27 of those in 2007 with the Florida Marlins, going 5-8 with an ERA of 4.65.

After Suspension

Mitre debuted for the Yankees on July 21st of the 2009 season, and he ended up appearing in 12 games, making nine starts. He had a 6.79 ERA. He had a 3.33 ERA in 27 appearances for the Yankees in 2010.

Where Is He Now?

Mitre battled a shoulder injury down the stretch in 2011 and is currently a free agent.

J.C. Romero

Background

Romero was suspended for 50 games right around the same time Mitre was suspended. According to ESPN.com, he too said his test was triggered by a legal supplement. He would eventually decide to sue the manufacturer of the supplement that triggered the positive test. It was settled earlier this year (see New York Daily News).

Before Suspension

Romero had a very good season for the Phillies in 2008, posting a 2.75 ERA in 81 appearances. He also won two games during the World Series, and he didn't allow an earned run that entire postseason. From 1999 to 2008, Romero had a 4.14 ERA in 547 career appearances.

After Suspension

He made his 2009 debut on June 3rd, and he went on to post a 2.70 ERA in 21 appearances. Since then, he has a 4.54 ERA in 107 appearances with three different organizations.

Where Is He Now

Romero was released by the St. Louis Cardinals earlier this week after posting an ERA over 10.00 in 11 appearances.

Manny Ramirez (first suspension)

Background

When Manny Ramirez was hit with a 50-game PED suspension early in the 2009 season, many were quick to note that he was by far the most accomplished player ever to run afoul of MLB's testing policy. As reported by SI.com, his positive test was triggered by a female fertility drug that also boosts testosterone production in men.

Before Suspension

Through the first 27 games of the 2009 season, Manny was hitting .348 with six home runs and 20 RBI. From the start of his career in 1993 through the end of the 2008 season, he was a .314 hitter with 527 career home runs. 

After Suspension

Manny returned to the Dodgers in early July, and he went on to hit .269 with 13 home runs in 77 games, a significant drop-off in production. He played in 95 games from the start of the 2010 season through his retirement in 2011, hitting .284 with nine home runs.

Where Is He Now?

He's nearly back...

Edinson Volquez

Background

Edinson Volquez had to undergo Tommy John surgery in 2009, so he was in the middle of rehabbing when he got the news that he had been suspended for 50 games in 2010. According to The New York Times, Volquez tested positive for a male fertility drug meant to boost testosterone levels.

Before Suspension

Volquez's career was just getting going in 2010. He had won 17 games with a 3.21 ERA in 2008, and he had gotten off to a decent start in 2009 before he got injured. He broke into the big leagues in 2005 with the Texas Rangers, and he owned a career record of 24-19 and an ERA of 4.37 at the time of his suspension.

After Suspension

Volquez made his 2010 debut on July 17th, and he would go on to win four of his 12 starts with a 4.31 ERA. From the start of the 2011 season until now, he has a 7-10 record and a 4.83 ERA.

Where Is He Now?

Volquez has a 3.04 ERA in nine starts for the San Diego Padres.

Trends and Conclusion

The point of this little exercise was to take a look at major league players who were hit with long suspensions and managed to come back and play after them. 

As you can tell, there's not a whole lot to go off of here. Not too many players have been suspended for 50 games or more since MLB started dishing out punishments in 2005 and relatively few of them actually continued their careers after they were punished.

Generally speaking, the players we just took a look at were not as good after their suspensions as they were before. There were, however, other factors at work, most notably age and injury. It cannot be reasonably concluded that PEDs and long PED suspensions lead to inferior performance.

The one guy who seems to be an exception is none other than Manny himself. He was a tremendous hitter right up until the moment he was suspended in 2009. After he came back, he just wasn't the same, and he kept getting worse and worse as time went along.

It's easy to blame the PEDs, but let's keep in mind that we're talking about a guy who's pushing 40. He was bound to break down at some point, and it could be that his 2009 discipline merely sped up the process.

He's a year older now than when we last saw him, and it stands to reason he's not using PEDs (though I wouldn't be surprised). Logic leads me to believe that he's therefore not going to be better in 2012 than when we last saw him in 2011.

If you want a straight answer, here it is:

Manny's done, and he's been done for nearly three years.