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PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Speaking for the first time since receiving a full-season suspension for a second positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, second baseman Robinson Can on Wednesday offered an apology but did not provide an explanation for his positive tests.

Thats why Im here as a man, to give you guys an apology, Can said. It was tough for me this past year. Being at home, things are going through your head. Its something that you dont want to share. You keep it to yourself. But it wasnt good.

For me, I love this game. I grew up in a family that played this game. And to not be able to play the game, it was really tough.

Can was asked why he tested positive for Stanozolol but did not directly answer the question, saying only that theres no excuses. He apologized to the Mets organization, to my teammates, the fans, and you guys.

The comments came 16 months after Can received a season-long suspension for a second positive PED test, following his first in 2018. He forfeited his entire $24 million salary for the 2021 season but remains under team control for two more years at $48 million total. The Mets owe him $40.5 million of that money, with the Mariners picking up the rest.

Im just happy to be back, he said, rephrasing a comment that he repeated several times throughout the news conference. Im happy that weve got a new manager, new GM, new coaches. To be able to be back here on the team and to help this team compete for a championship, Im really happy to be back and to be able to play the game that I love.

Now 39 and entering his 17th big league season, Can has an uncertain role on the roster. Manager Buck Showalter has committed publicly to Jeff McNeil as his everyday second baseman, noting that Can will play there only on occasion. First base is an option for Can, but not a realistic one for as long as Pete Alonso is healthy. So the bulk of Cans reps will have to come at designated hitter, where he will vie for playing time alongside (primarily) J.D. Davis and Dominic Smith.

When he last played, in 2020, Can batted .316/.352/.544 with 10 home runs in 49 games, but he struggled to stay healthy the previous year, with a near-constant string of leg muscle strains.

But if anyone can bounce back from a lost season, Showalter said, it is Can, who would be on a Hall of Fame career track if not for his suspensions.

Hes got that look in his eye, Showalter said. Ive learned through the years, dont sell guys like him short. Hes got a pretty good pedigree.

To that end, Can said, he trained all offseason -- Monday through Friday -- to prove that he can be a productive player without the aid of PEDs. The Mets, given their financial commitment to him, intend to find out whether thats true.

I dont want to live in the past, Can said. I can control from now on, and just kind of focus on winning championships. Because thats the goal. The organization, and I know the Mets fans, they just cant wait for a championship.

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Can offers apology to Mets organization, teammates and fans: 'There's no excuses' - MLB.com