L.J. Mazzilli, son of Lee Mazzilli, hits home run in 2015 debut after drug suspension
In his first at-bat since he finished serving a 50-game drug suspension, L.J. Mazzilli showed some rust, striking out.
The key word? "Some."
Mazzilli homered his next time up and finished the night with two hits during Mets' Single-A Advanced affiliate St. Lucie's 5-1 win over Fort Myers on Monday.
Mazzilli hit a two-run homer with two outs in the third inning and singled with two outs in the fifth during his 2015 debut.
Monday was St. Lucie's 51st game of the season and the first game for which Mazzilli was eligible to participate.
The 24-year-old son of ex-Met Lee Mazzilli had the 50-game ban levied on him in December when he tested positive for a drug of abuse for the second time. The drug was not specified. In contrast to a performance-enhancing drug suspension, for which a major or minor league player is banned upon a first positive test, a drug of abuse requires a second positive test for a minor leaguer to be suspended. A warning is issued following an initial positive test.
Mazzilli, a second baseman, was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 draft and made an impression during his first two seasons, batting .294 with a .351 on-base percentage and 15 home runs.
Third baseman Jeff McNeil was 1-for-5 with a triple and first baseman Dominic Smith, the Mets' top pick in the 2013 draft, was 2-for-4 with two doubles for St. Lucie (26-25, 2nd place in Florida State League South, 8 games back).
Elsewhere in the minors
TRIPLE-A LAS VEGAS
(29-23, 1st place in Pacific Coast League Pacific Southern)
Shortstop Matt Reynolds was 1-for-4 with a double, but the 51s fell to Nashville, 5-1.
DOUBLE-A BINGHAMTON
(26-24, 4th place in Eastern League Eastern, 5.5 games back)
Binghamton was off.
SINGLE-A SAVANNAH
(24-27, 5th place in South Atlantic League Southern, 7 games back)
Brad Wieck struck out six in 5 1/3 innings but allowed four runs during a 5-3 loss to Asheville. Wieck, a 6-foot-9 lefthander who was a seventh-round pick in 2014, has 64 strikeouts in 49 innings this season, his first as a starter. Third baseman Eudor Garcia and rightfielder Wuilmer Becerra each went 1-for-4 with a double for the Sand Gnats.
ROOKIE -- DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE METS 1
(2-0, T-1st place in DSL Boca Chica South)
Richard Reina struck out seven in five innings, allowing one hit, one walk and one run in a 2-1 win over the Rockies. Third baseman Oliver Pascual was 3-for-5 with a double.
ROOKIE -- DOMINICAN SUMMER LEAGUE METS 2
(1-1, T-2nd place in DSL Boca Chica North, 1 game back)
Second baseman Pedro Ventura, catcher Carlos Sanchez and rightfielder Rafael Guzman each hit a double but the Mets lost to the Cubs, 5-4.