Chris Colabello begins major-league comeback bid

Chris Colabello has begun his comeback bid from an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.

The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman returned for a rehab assignment with Class A Dunedin on Wednesday night. In his first game in more than two months, Colabello went 1-for-3 with a double and a walk in an 8-5 loss to the Bradenton Marauders.

“It’s awesome. I love this game so much. I felt like a little kid out there – it was great,” he said in an interview with Sportsnet after his first game back.

Colabello received an 80-game suspension from Major League Baseball back on April 22 for testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, an anabolic steroid more commonly known as Turinabol.

Since the news broke, Colabello has continuously stated he didn’t knowingly consume the drug and has worked tirelessly to discover how it was found in his system.

“The only thing I know is that I would never compromise the integrity of the game of baseball. I love this game too much,” he said in a statement released at the time.

As per MLB rules, a suspended player is eligible to return for a rehab assignment with the club’s minor league affiliates 10 days prior to the end of his suspension. Since, Colabello can return to the Blue Jays on July 23, he began his rehab assignment this week. It’s been reported that Colabello has been working out at the Blue Jays facility in Dunedin while he waits out his major-league ban.

The 32-year-old baseball journeyman had a breakout season with the Blue Jays in 2015. Having spent the majority of his career toiling away in the independent baseball leagues, the Blue Jays claimed Colabello off waivers during the off-season.

After being named the International League Player of the Month for his play with the Buffalo Bisons, Colabello was called up by the Blue Jays in May and stuck with the club through the remainder of the season and into the post-season. In 101 games, he hit 15 home runs and 54 RBIs with a .321 batting average and an OPS of .886.

Whether Colabello will return to the Blue Jays once his suspension is up remains to be seen. He has options remaining, meaning he can stay in the minor leagues. In his absence, Justin Smoak and Edwin Encarnacion have been the team’s primary first basemen. If the Blue Jays advance to the post-season, however, Colabello is not allowed to play, as MLB rules state players who have been suspended for doping during the season can't participate in the playoffs.