Major League Baseball conditionally reinstates Jenrry Mejia

Mejia will be allowed to resume participation in non-public workouts at Mets’ facilities after the All-Star break and will be eligible for a rehabilitation assignment with a Mets’ affiliate in mid-August. Assuming he complies with certain conditions established by Rob Manfred and the union — said conditions not specified, but presumably drug-related — Mejia will be reinstated from the Restricted List and will be eligible to resume all baseball activities beginning with 2019 Spring Training.

Mejia’s first suspension was announced on April 11, 2015 Mets reliever Jenrry Mejía, when he was sidelined for 80 games after testing positive for use of stanozolol. He was still serving his suspension for his first offense when, on July 28, 2015, it was announced that Mejia had failed a test for stanozolol and boldenone to boot, giving him a 162-game suspension. The two suspensions, if fully served, would’ve made him ineligible until 100 games into the 2016 season. During the 2015-16 offseason — during which the Mets gave him a contract extension in anticipation of his return — Major League Baseball announced that Mejia had tested positive for boldenone once again. With his third positive test came the mandatory permanent ban under the Joint Drug Agreement.

This past offseason — again, under the assumption that Mejia would, at some point, be reinstated — the Mets and Mejia agreed to a one-year, $1.729 million deal to avoid arbitration. The Mets obviously aren’t paying him anything due to the suspension, but they retained rights to him, which enables them to hold on to him now that he’s back. At least conditionally speaking.

Mejia, who will be 29 in October, last pitched on July 26, 2015. In his career he’s got a 3.68 ERA and a K/BB ratio of 162/76 in 183.1 innings across 113 games, mostly in relief.