MLB commissioner discusses PED rumors with Arrieta |
Cubs ace
Jake Arrieta is 23-1 with a 0.98 ERA with 45 walks and 202 strikeouts in his last 28 starts since last June 21 which is the best stretch in franchise history.
Arrieta has also allowed three or fewer runs in each of his last 28 starts which is the longest such streak since 1893. The repeated dominating performances by Arrieta have led some in baseball circles to whisper about the possibility of steroid use. "That kind of speculation, I've found it to be distasteful," Manfred said via the Boston Herald. "I can't think of a better word. It's just inappropriate. There's one way to know. Did he test positive or did he not?" Arrieta has been recognized as a master of yoga and stretching, a component of drinking healthy protein shakes and a workout warrior as he takes care of his physique throughout the season. “If I’ve learned anything over that period of time, it is you cannot — cannot — make a judgment as to whether somebody’s using a performance enhancing drug based on changes in performance or physical appearance," Manfred said. "It’s simply unfair speculation. People get better. And to speculate it’s because of performance enhancing drugs is literally baseless speculation.” Arrieta said recently the following about the suggestions of his PED use. “My teammates and, personally, myself, I know I’ve never taken any shortcuts,” Arrieta said. Arrieta will face Giants veteran righty Jake Peavy on Friday in San Francisco at 9:15 CDT.
