OAKLAND A’S PITCHER Bartolo Colon was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball today after testing positive for abnormally high levels of testosterone, the club announced.
The violation of Major League Baseball’s drug prevention and treatment program for a performance-enhancing substance means an immediate ban without pay for the 39-year-old right-hander, who is in his 14th major league season.
“I apologize to the fans, to my teammates and to the Oakland A’s,” Colon said in a statement. “I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the Joint Drug Program.”
Colon has a 10-9 record in 24 starts for the American League club this season with a 3.43 earned-run average. He struck out 91 batters and walked 23 in 152 1/3 innings with 161 hits surrendered, including 17 home runs.
Colon, who was to have started tomorrow, led Oakland in wins and innings pitched this season and had helped the A’s move within one game of Tampa Bay and Baltimore for a wild-card playoff berth in the American League.
“The Oakland Athletics are disappointed to learn of today’s suspension of pitcher Bartolo Colon,” the team said in a statement.
“The organization fully supports Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from our game.”
Colon, who was working on a $2 million contract this season, has a 171-122 career record with a 4.05 career earned-run average with Cleveland, the Chicago White Sox, Los Angeles Angels, Boston, the New York Yankees and Oakland.
Colon will miss the final 40 games of Oakland’s season and either the club’s first 10 playoff games or the first 10 games of his next major league season.
The ban comes a week after a 50-game ban was imposed upon San Francisco Giants star Melky Cabrera, also a Dominican, for a positive doping test for testosterone.
