The Washington Nationals are enjoying the offseason and everything that comes along with it. After a grueling 2026 season in which the team dealt with a ton of ups and downs, they are likely enjoying some well-deserved time off after achieving 77 wins and vastly exceeding expectations.
Part of the reason this year was so successful was because of the rise of their prospects, as several top prospects like Eli Willits, Seaver King, Jarlin Susana, and others all did much better than many could have hoped for. However, one prospect now will find himself behind the rest of the pack after some recent unfortunate news.
Nationals 2026 15th-round pick receives 56-game PED suspension
That prospect would be catcher Francisco Rivero, who has now been suspended for 56 games following a positive test for performance-enhancing substances. While the term of the suspension might not seem like a lot, it will cover the entirety of the 2027 Florida Complex League (FCL) season, and he now will miss a crucial development year.
Rivero tested positive for Stanozolol, and he was also suspended along with free agent pitcher Raudi Perez in testing positive for the substance. Both players now join a group of 11 other players in earning suspensions for drug violations in 2026.
For Rivero, he was a 15th-round draft pick by the Nationals earlier this year, and he has yet to appear in a professional game. He was slated to be part of the Rookie League FCL Nationals going into next season, as Rivero is still young and won't even turn 19 until late December. He will now be going on the Restricted List and likely won't be heard from much until the 2028 season.
It is an unfortunate development for a young prospect who could really use that time to work on his game and get acclimated to being a professional player, but he will have to wait his turn now. Hopefully Rivero can serve as a bit of an example to many other Nationals' youngsters on what not to do when you first get into an organization.
Under previous GM Mike Rizzo, the Nationals had a pretty good track record of not having many infractions of the PED policy, so hopefully Paul Toboni and company will be able to keep their guys away from similar circumstances.
What do you think of Francisco Rivera's 56-game PED suspension? As always, please let me know on X, @DCBerk.
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