Bartolo Colon – Former Cy Young Award winner Bartolo Colon of the Oakland Athletics has been suspended 50 games after testing positive for testosterone.
Wednesday’s announcement by Major League Baseball comes just a week after All-Star game MVP Melky Cabrera of the San Francisco Giants had received a 50-game suspension for testing positive for the same substance.
“I apologize to the fans, to my teammates and to the Oakland A’s,” Colon said in a statement released by the players’ association. “I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the joint program.”
The burly right-hander will miss the final 40 games of the regular season and the first 10 games of the postseason should Oakland advance that far. Any remainder of the suspension would be served in a future season should Colon sign another major league contract.
The A’s, who haven’t reached the postseason since 2006, began Wednesday just a half game out in the American League wild card race. The team received the news of Colon’s punishment prior to an afternoon game against Minnesota.
“The Oakland Athletics are disappointed to learn of today’s suspension,” the team said in a released statement.
The 39-year-old Colon is 10-9 with a 3.43 ERA in 24 starts in his first season with the A’s, and is 171-122 overall in 15 big-league season. He won the 2005 AL Cy Young Award after going 21-8 with the Los Angeles Angels.
The suspension means that Colon will forfeit the remaining $469,945 of his $2 million base salary this year and the chance to make an additional $850,000 in bonuses based on innings pitched.
Five players have been suspended this year under the big-league drug program. San Francisco reliever Guillermo Mota was penalized 100 games in May following his second positive test and is eligible to return Aug. 28. Philadelphia infielder Freddy Galvis and free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd were each suspended 50 games in June.
