Royals Pitcher Eric Skoglund Suspended 80 Games for PED Violation

Kansas City Royals pitcher Eric Skoglund will miss half of the 2019 season after being suspended for violating Major League Baseball's policy on performance-enhancing drugs. 

Per MLB.com, Skoglund received an 80-game suspension after testing positive for androgen receptor modulators Ostarine and Ligandrol.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore issued a statement about Skoglund included in the official announcement:

"Unfortunately when something like this occurs I immediately think about how much work and dedication our medical staff does communicating to the players about the importance of being careful about what they put in their bodies. I'm appreciative that professional baseball players are tested more frequently than any professional athlete and we should all be thankful that testing is working. Eric is a tremendous young man and he unknowingly made a mistake and he will have to accept his suspension, work hard and be ready to go after the suspension is served. We remain proud of who Eric is as a person and will support him as an organization."

Skoglund was going to enter spring training next month competing for the final spot in Kansas City's starting rotation. 

A third-round pick out of Central Florida in 2014, Skoglund made his MLB debut in 2017. The southpaw appeared in 14 games last season, posting a 5.14 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 70 innings. 

The Royals placed Skoglund on the disabled list in May with a sprained UCL in his left elbow. He was effective upon returning in September with a 1.33 ERA in 20.1 innings across five appearances. 

With Skoglund out for the first 80 games, Royals manager Ned Yost still has plenty of options to choose from during spring training to fill out his rotation. Heath Fillmyer, Jorge Lopez, Glenn Sparkman and Trevor Oaks all started games in 2018. 

Kansas City will report to spring training for its first workout on Feb. 13. It will open the 2019 season on March 28 against the Chicago White Sox.