The Washington Nationals’ offseason has brought plenty of reasons to feel good after a 77-win season, but one of their young prospects is now facing a major setback before his pro career even gets rolling.
Catcher Francisco Rivero, the Nationals’ 15th-round pick earlier this year, has been suspended for 56 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing substances. The suspension is tied to Stanozolol, and Rivero was suspended along with free agent pitcher Raudi Perez after both tested positive for the substance.
That punishment will do more than just interrupt his next step. The 56-game ban covers the entire 2027 Florida Complex League season, wiping out a key development year for a player who had been expected to join the Rookie League FCL Nationals next season. Rivero has not yet appeared in a professional game, and because he won’t turn 19 until late December, he was still viewed as a very young part of the system.
Now, instead of getting that first real taste of pro ball, Rivero will be placed on the Restricted List and likely won’t resurface until the 2028 season.
His case is part of a larger wave of discipline across the sport. Rivero and Perez are among 13 players to receive drug-related suspensions in 2026, with 11 others also handed bans for violations.
For the Nationals, it’s an unfortunate turn for a prospect who was supposed to spend this time learning the ropes and building a foundation. Under former general manager Mike Rizzo, the organization had a solid record of avoiding PED-policy issues, and the hope now is that Paul Toboni and company can keep that from becoming a bigger problem moving forward.
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