Noelvi Marte, the rookie infielder who this season was projected to play a major role for the Cincinnati Reds, received an 80-game suspension from Major League Baseball on Friday for violating the league’s policy against performance-enhancing drugs.

According to the league, Marte, 22, tested positive for the banned substance Boldenone. His suspension begins at the start of the regular season.

“The Reds fully support Major League Baseball’s drug policy and its penalties,” the club said in a statement. “We will have no further comment.”

Marte is ranked as the 17th best prospect in the sport by The Athletic’s Keith Law, having joined the Reds organization as part of the return from the Seattle Mariners in the trade for ace pitcher Luis Castillo. Marte hit .316/.366/.456 in 35 games last season. He had been projected this season to be the team’s starter at third base.

The Reds’ signing of infielder Jeimer Candelario looks much better now than it did when the Reds signed the free-agent third baseman to a three-year, $45 million deal in December.

Marte, who debuted last September, was expected to play nearly every day at third base to start the season. That left a logjam in the Reds’ infield with Elly De La Cruz and Matt McLain making up the middle of the infield while Candelario, Jonathan India and Christian Encarnacion-Strand split the rest of the playing time.

This will also impact the final roster spots, opening up a place for a utility player such as Josh Harrison, Jose Barrero or Tony Kemp.

Marte was acquired in the 2022 deadline deal that sent Luis Castillo to Seattle. Also in that deal was another highly-regarded shortstop, Edwin Arroyo, who has been impressive so far in big-league camp. A third player in that trade, right-hander Levi Stoudt, was claimed off of waivers by the Mariners last month.

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(Photo: Kareem Elgazzar / The Enquirer via USA Today)