Since returning from an 80-game suspension in early May, Athletics outfielder Ramón Laureano has made an impact with both his glove and his bat.
But his time spent off the field from Aug. 6 to May 8 wasn’t easy at times.
“It was a very long pause,” Laureano said in Spanish during an interview with Telemundo’s Carlos Yustis that aired during "A's Pregame Live" on Saturday. “But we are here, we are present and we are enjoying everything again.”
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The 27-year-old was dealt the suspension after violating MLB’s performance-enhancing drug policy -- a devastating blow to a career that saw him go from an only child in the Dominican Republic to a top-producing talent in Oakland.
At the time, Laureano said in a statement through the MLB Players Association that he would never knowingly ingest any banned substance and put the game that he loves at risk.
Now, speaking with Yustis, Laureano said missing nearly half of an MLB season split across nine months was hard to accept.
“Without giving too many details, it was a very difficult time for me and my family because of how it happened,” Laureano said. “But at the same time, thanks to God, I was able to recover mentally from that, and now we are here working in the present and giving everything for us.
Oakland Athletics
“Because I know I have a more successful career in front of me than I’ve had in the past with God’s help and hard work.”
After a short rehab stint at Triple-A Las Vegas, Laureano returned to the A’s lineup and has since shot to the top of the team’s offensive rankings. He currently leads the Oakland roster in OPS (.692) and batting average (.255), and Laureano ranks No. 2 in stolen bases with four and on-base percentage (.339).
Laureano also saw an impressive 12-game hit streak come to an end during the A’s 8-4 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday. And on defense, he and fellow Dominican outfielder Cristian Pache have combined their talents to form a nearly impenetrable outfield.
So far, Laureano has made good on his belief that there’s still plenty to look forward to.
And through it all, he knows he’s here in the big leagues -- for the good times and the bad -- thanks to his parents, who supported him when others didn’t.
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“I have to thank my parents for giving me the confidence and for trusting my goals, even when they seemed far at that point,” Laureano told Yustis. “But they have always given me confidence and supported me with anything I wanted. They get a lot of credit.”
Looking forward past his suspension, Laureano anticipates his own success. Because in the end, he has himself to thank, too.
“I am here because I have a passion and a goal, and I was going to give everything to be in the majors,” he said.