Five Minor Leaguers Suspended
Arizona's Angel Rocha faces 100-game suspension
See also: Drug tests lead to four suspensions.
See also: Chart of this year's drug suspensions.
Major League Baseball suspended five minor league players for violating baseball’s Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment program, including the first two-time violator.
Diamondbacks lefthander Angel Rocha, 21, was suspended for 100 games, essentially ending his season. Also suspended, for 50 games as first-time offenders, were Angels righthander Karl Gelinas; Mets righthander Jorge Reyes; Cardinals outfielder Yonathan Sivira; and Padres righthander Matt Varner. All five were suspended for using performance enhancing substances, according to a release by MLB.
Rocha, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2002, was 14-24, 4.93 in 317 career minor league innings, only 87 of which have come in full-season ball. He made one start with Triple-A Tucson in 2004, his career highlight. Rocha was not on an Opening Day roster.
"We understand and support the Commissioner's policy on this matter, and agree with the importance and impact of the proper enforcement," Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes said in a statement released by the team. "We will continue to make education a top priority for our players at all levels of our system."
Like Rocha, Reyes, 21, is from the Dominican Republic. He went 4-5, 5.20 last season, his first in the U.S., while playing for short-season Brooklyn. Reyes had opened the season with low Class A Hagerstown and was off to a good start for the Suns, throwing 11 innings in his first two starts and posting a 2.45 ERA.
Sivira, 22, signed out of Venezuela and like Reyes had yet to play full-season ball prior to 2006. He hit .253-2-17 for short-season New Jersey last season. He started this season at low Class A Quad Cities and was off to a 2-for-10 start.
Gelinas, a 22-year-old Canadian from Quebec, went 11-8, 3.81 last season at low Class A Cedar Rapids and walked just 20 in 151 innings. He was at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga in 2006, losing each of his first two starts while posting a 7.59 ERA.
Varner, 24, was an 11th-round pick out of the University of Houston and had 34 saves last season at low Class A Fort Wayne. He was 0-1, 7.36 with three saves in four games at high Class A Lake Elsinore this season.
Arizona's Angel Rocha faces 100-game suspension
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PrintSee also: Drug tests lead to four suspensions.
See also: Chart of this year's drug suspensions.
Major League Baseball suspended five minor league players for violating baseball’s Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment program, including the first two-time violator.
Diamondbacks lefthander Angel Rocha, 21, was suspended for 100 games, essentially ending his season. Also suspended, for 50 games as first-time offenders, were Angels righthander Karl Gelinas; Mets righthander Jorge Reyes; Cardinals outfielder Yonathan Sivira; and Padres righthander Matt Varner. All five were suspended for using performance enhancing substances, according to a release by MLB.
Rocha, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2002, was 14-24, 4.93 in 317 career minor league innings, only 87 of which have come in full-season ball. He made one start with Triple-A Tucson in 2004, his career highlight. Rocha was not on an Opening Day roster.
"We understand and support the Commissioner's policy on this matter, and agree with the importance and impact of the proper enforcement," Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes said in a statement released by the team. "We will continue to make education a top priority for our players at all levels of our system."
Like Rocha, Reyes, 21, is from the Dominican Republic. He went 4-5, 5.20 last season, his first in the U.S., while playing for short-season Brooklyn. Reyes had opened the season with low Class A Hagerstown and was off to a good start for the Suns, throwing 11 innings in his first two starts and posting a 2.45 ERA.
Sivira, 22, signed out of Venezuela and like Reyes had yet to play full-season ball prior to 2006. He hit .253-2-17 for short-season New Jersey last season. He started this season at low Class A Quad Cities and was off to a 2-for-10 start.
Gelinas, a 22-year-old Canadian from Quebec, went 11-8, 3.81 last season at low Class A Cedar Rapids and walked just 20 in 151 innings. He was at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga in 2006, losing each of his first two starts while posting a 7.59 ERA.
Varner, 24, was an 11th-round pick out of the University of Houston and had 34 saves last season at low Class A Fort Wayne. He was 0-1, 7.36 with three saves in four games at high Class A Lake Elsinore this season.
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