MLB Notes: Almonte takes responsibility for suspension

Cleveland Indians outfielder Abraham Almonte accepted responsibility Saturday for the failed drug test that got him suspended 80 games, but said he didn’t know how an illegal substance got into his body.

“As a grown man, I’m taking all the responsibility for whatever was found in my body,” Almonte said, a day after his penalty was announced by Major League Baseball. “I’m just trying to think and figure out what it is. For now, I don’t really have any idea where it came from.”

The 26-year-old outfielder said he was surprised to hear the news from MLB, and that it was difficult to address the suspension in front of his teammates.

When manager Terry Francona sat down to talk about Almonte’s suspension, his tone was as somber as his expression.

“When we get on the field, this won’t slow us down,” Francona said. “We’ll figure it out. it will not be an excuse.”

Almonte, who hit .264 with five home runs and 20 RBIs last season, was set to get significant time in the outfield this season. He could have competed for a starting spot in the outfield with All-Star Michael Brantley is recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

While he will spend his time away from the team preparing for the second half of the season, Almonte said he’ll be rooting his teammates on from afar.

“My responsibility now is to work as hard as I can to get ready and help my team whenever they need me back,” Almonte said. “I hope this distraction doesn’t hurt the team and one of the most important things right now for me is that the team keeps doing what they’re supposed to do.”

Francona said he was as shocked as Almonte upon hearing the news and spoke at length with the outfielder about the positive test.

In those meetings, Francona confirmed that he and the Indians would be supportive of the outfielder and be alongside him as he works through this “sobering” situation.

“Your team’s a little bit like a family and things don’t always go the way they’re supposed to and people make mistakes,” Francona said. “Through thick and thin, through good and bad, we’ll try to be there for him as much as we can.”

Though Francona feels that the Indians now have another hole in the outfield that wasn’t there previously, he doesn’t think that the team needs to look externally to find a potential replacement for Almonte.

“I would say though that I’m completely comfortable with the guys that are in our camp,” Francona said, adding that he isn’t pushing Indians president Chris Antonetti to make any moves.

Almonte will continue to take part in Cleveland’s spring training but his routine will change.

Rather than participate in games and do baseball activities during spring workouts, he’ll focus on agility and conditioning work to leave the at-bats for those competing for the opening day outfield spots.

Clark concerned about Fowler situation

Major League Baseball Players Association chief Tony Clark expressed concern Saturday about the way the Dexter Fowler situation was handled by the media and seemed to support agent Casey Close’s public statement ripping reporters and the Orioles for premature reports that the free-agent outfielder had agreed to a three-year deal to play in Baltimore.

“I think it is disappointing that we live in a world where it is more important to be first than it is to be right,” Clark said during his annual spring visit to Orioles camp, “and it’s a very dangerous place to exist when information makes its way out that may not be 100-percent accurate, regardless of what the information is and helps to change or sway the dialogue on one side of the equation or the other.

”I look forward to having a conversation on how everyone can be a little more diligent in that regard in the best interest of the entire industry.“

Lest anyone forget, Close blasted the Orioles and the many media outlets who reported the unfinished $33 million contract that Fowler rejected before returning to the Chicago Cubs, though he had nearly two full days to refute those reports and his client told Adam Jones that he was ”excited“ to be joining the Orioles.

Clark would not say whether the union would follow up on Close’s accusation that the Orioles violated baseball’s labor agreement.

”An agent has the ability to issue the statement that it issued,“ Clark said. ”Understanding and appreciating what may have transpired here, going back to the question prior, to say we have concerns is an understatement.“

Clark also expressed concern about the way free agent Yovani Gallardo’s physical examination was handled by the Orioles.

Twins honor Carew

Hall of Famer Rod Carew reached his goal of attending the Minnesota Twins first full day of spring training, five months after a massive heart attack.

He couldn’t have been more touched by what he saw when he walked into the clubhouse.

The players and staff surprised him. They were all were wearing red T-shirts with a white-shaped heart in the center and the words “Heart of 29” in the middle.

“It’s funny. My wife knew about this, and I didn’t,” he said.

Carew was especially happy the Twins are helping educate folks to get their hearts checked.

“It’s been great what they’ve been doing,” he said. “The more that we can get to people, I think, the more lives we have a chance of saving.”

Carew was holding back tears as he watched Twins players stretch on the field before workouts. He says he didn’t “want to get emotional on the baseball field because there’s no crying in baseball.”

The 70-year-old Carew wears a battery pack and says he hopes to have a new heart in four months.

Manager Paul Molitor said it won’t be the last time people will see the T-shirts.

“We’ll keep these around,” he said. “I won’t be surprised if we see them under the uniforms of our players.”

During the workout, Carew spent time in the batting cages, talking to some of the players before he walked onto the field at Hammond Stadium. When he got there, he was greeted by recently retired outfielder Torii Hunter, and the pair hung out behind the cage.

“Rod means a lot to this organization,” Hunter said. “For me, as a young kid, I had a chance to hang out with Rod. He helped me out in so many different ways. I really appreciate him and love him, have the utmost respect. When this happens to someone you love, it’s devastating.”

Before the workouts began, Carew couldn’t help joke he might try to teach some of the young players how to drag bunt, turning into his left-handed hitter’s stance and taking a few steps, looking like he was heading out of a batter’s box.

“No drag bunts,” he said after the workouts ended. “Not yet anyway.”