San Diego Padres: RHP Alex Cunningham Suspended

Per an announcement by Major League Baseball, San Diego Padres RHP Alex Cunningham has been suspended to start the 2018 season.

San Diego Padres RHP Alex Cunningham has been suspended for 50-games by Major League Baseball.  According to this USA Today release, Cunningham’s suspension stems from the use of Amphetamine, a stimulant. The suspension is without pay.

The Padres selected Cunningham, 23, out of Coastal Carolina in the ninth-round of last year’s MLB draft. The fifth-year senior logged 106 innings in his final season with the Chanticleers, holding opposing hitters to a .195 batting average. He exhibited excellent command by finishing with a 117/24 K/BB ratio.

Cunningham pitched at three different levels last season with the Padres. After 4.1 innings of work in the Arizona League (2 H, 0 ER, 8 K, 1 BB), he was promoted to High-A Lake Elsinore.

The quick jump to advanced ball didn’t work out too well for Cunningham. He made one start in which he gave up four earned runs and lasted just two innings. Cunningham finished the year with the Tri-City Dust Devils in Low-A ball.

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Cunningham was expected to move up through the San Diego Padres system quickly. A rare fifth-year senior draft pick, he’s a high strikeout pitcher with two average pitches (fastball and slider).  While he isn’t considered a top-prospect, he has the makeup to become a minor league depth reliever.

With a seemingly endless amount of depth in the minor leagues, the loss of Cunningham has no impact on Tri-City’s season. It is, however, an unfortunate event for a young prospect. When he returns from suspension, he will be 24-years-of-age with only 11 innings of minor league experience.

Next: Manuel Margot Has The Chance To Join A Small List In San Diego

Let’s hope our next story is about a free agent signing, not a suspension.