The Boston Red Sox will have to go half of their season down a man when it comes to their starting rotation, and that man is Steven Wright. The knuckleballer was suspended 80 games on Wednesday for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. The league said he tested positive for growth-hormone-releasing peptide 2 to be specific. The hurler admitted to reporters in Florida that he did fail a test during the winter, but then appealed. From there, he claimed that he could not prove it was unintentional, so he accepted his punishment this time around.
The suspension will begin on Opening Day, March 28th, which also means that he will not be eligible to play in any Postseason games this season. And that is a major deal, as he plays for the defending World Series Champions, and they are expected to defend their title well this year. The team released a statement that said that they fully supported Major League Baseball's decision, but also expressed their intentions on supporting Wright through this process.
The former 2016 American League All-Star missed time in 2018 after undergoing left knee surgery, while also serving a 15-game suspension for violating the league's domestic violence policy. He made 10 appearances, including four starts, before he landed back on the disabled list in June, and was out until September. He ended the season with a record of 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA in 16 appearances, but was removed from the American League Division Series roster, and never returned during their championship run.
The suspension will begin on Opening Day, March 28th, which also means that he will not be eligible to play in any Postseason games this season. And that is a major deal, as he plays for the defending World Series Champions, and they are expected to defend their title well this year. The team released a statement that said that they fully supported Major League Baseball's decision, but also expressed their intentions on supporting Wright through this process.
The former 2016 American League All-Star missed time in 2018 after undergoing left knee surgery, while also serving a 15-game suspension for violating the league's domestic violence policy. He made 10 appearances, including four starts, before he landed back on the disabled list in June, and was out until September. He ended the season with a record of 3-1 with a 2.68 ERA in 16 appearances, but was removed from the American League Division Series roster, and never returned during their championship run.
