Noelvi Marte officially returns to the Cincinnati Reds, reinstated after suspension for performance-enhancing drugs

The Cincinnati Reds have activated infielder Noelvi Marte from the restricted list, the team announced Thursday afternoon.

Marte was suspended for 80 games in March for violating MLB’s doping policy, and he tested positive for boldenone during spring training, taking Cincinnati’s most promising prospect out of contention for the first half of the 2024 regular season.

The Reds welcomed Marte back from a rehab assignment on Wednesday, although he was not eligible to rejoin the roster until Thursday. To make room for Marte, Cincinnati had to send infielder Livan Soto to Triple-A Louisville and place right-handed pitcher Emilio Pagan on the 60-day injured list.

Marte made his MLB debut in 2023, posting a .316 batting average with three home runs, 15 RBI, six stolen bases, an .822 OPS, and a 0.8 WAR in 35 appearances. In his minor league career, he posted a .278 batting average with an .817 OPS, averaging 23 home runs, 99 RBI, and 34 stolen bases per 162 games.

However, during his rehab at Triple-A Louisville this month, Marte posted just a .151 batting average with two RBIs, one stolen base and a .321 OPS in 12 games.

Even though Marte is back on the active roster, the Reds are still without two of their other top talents who shone in the Major League last season.

Infielder Matt McLain, who finished fifth in the 2023 NL Rookie of the Year voting, had shoulder surgery in March. Infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand suffered a fracture of his right ulnar styloid in May and will now undergo season-ending wrist surgery on July 11.

Marte’s return could ease the pain of the absence of McLain and Encarnacion-Strand, or at least that’s what Reds fans hope. Cincinnati has lost eight of its last 11 games, falling to 37-43 on the season.

The Reds will look to turn things around in their first game of the series against the St. Louis Cardinals starting Thursday, with first pitch scheduled for 7:45 p.m. ET.

Marte starts at third base and is sixth in the batting lineup.

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