The second baseman was promoted to High-A St. Lucie in 2014.
Although L.J. Mazzilli isn't the sexiest prospect in the Mets' system, he made some strides in 2014 towards what could be a productive major league career. He's also a curiosity because his father, Lee Mazzilli, was both productive and popular during his two stints with the Mets in the 1970s and 1980s.
Major League Baseball announced today that the younger Mazzilli has been suspended for a second positive test regarding a "drug of abuse." The suspension will start when the 2015 season does.
The suspension is only 50 games for a second offense because it's involving a substance that is not performance enhancing.
MLB announced #Mets L.J. Mazzilli suspended 50 games for second positive test for "drug of abuse."
— David Lennon (@DPLennon) December 23, 2014Last season Mazzilli, who was drafted out of UConn in the fourth round of the 2013 draft, split time between Savannah and St. Lucie. In his half-season of High-A, he hit .312/.363/.456 in 274 plate appearances. During the fall, he continued his solid play by hitting .306/.433/.469 with the Scottsdale Scorpions. Although this suspension will slow the 24-year-old's development, there's still hope for him to be promoted to Double-A Binghamton in 2015.