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Reliever Mark Hamburger Must Serve 50-Game Suspension

Posted Feb. 25, 2013 7:04 pm by Matt Eddy
Filed under: Suspensions

Free agent righthander Mark Hamburger, released by the Astros on Feb. 13, must serve a 50-game suspension if he latches on with a new organization. He failed two tests for recreational drugs as defined by the minor league drug prevention and treatment program.

Signed as a nondrafted free agent by the Twins in 2007, Hamburger reached the big leagues briefly in 2011, making five appearances for Texas. The 26-year-old reliever pitched at the Triple-A level for the Rangers, Padres and Astros last season, notching 7.2 strikeouts and 4.1 walks per nine innings for three Pacific Coast League clubs.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 25, 2013 at 7:04 pm by Matt Eddy and is filed under Suspensions. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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5 Comments

How much advance notice to teams have of failed tests?
Is it safe to say they cut him on Feb 13 upon being told he would get the 50 game suspension or do teams not find out til suspensions til they are publicly announced.
Its too bad to hear about his suspension, he was one of the best stories going in pro baseball. An undrafted free agent from a Minnesota JUCO signed out of a tryout camp making the big leagues just 4 years later is the kind of "anyone can make it" story I love about baseball.

Posted by NMS | February 26, 2013 at 12:18 am | Shortcut

[...] has been suspended for 50 games after testing positive on two instances for recreational drug use, according to Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. Hamburger, a free agent after being released by Houston earlier this month, would have to serve [...]

Posted by Quick Hits: Lohse, Young, Phillies, PED Supensions – Unofficial Network | February 26, 2013 at 2:06 am | Shortcut

After all the horse meat accusations going on over in the UK, it was only a matter of time until MLB was to take a look at their own Hamburger.

Posted by Chad D | February 26, 2013 at 2:49 am | Shortcut

I appreciated that comment, Chad D.

Posted by Carlos H | February 26, 2013 at 11:35 am | Shortcut

@NMS

Two recent player releases indicates that, yes, clubs do know in advance that a player in their organization has received a drug suspension. We saw that with Mark Hamburger this time and Austin Gallagher last time.

I agree on your second point. The undrafted players make for great success stories when they make the majors.

Posted by Matt Eddy | February 26, 2013 at 11:54 am | Shortcut

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