BREAKING:The MLB has suspended the Toronto Blue Jays’ star player without pay for the remainder of the season.
New York โ Blue Jays left-hander Thomas Pannone was suspended for 80 games without pay for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced Friday.
The organization’s 26th-ranked prospect was suspended after testing positive for Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a performance-enhancing drug.
Pannone, acquired from the Indians for reliever Joe Smith at last season’s Trade Deadline, had progressively improved his value since being drafted in the ninth round in 2013. He finished 9-3 with a career-high 2.36 ERA last season while setting personal bests with 149 strikeouts and 144 2/3 innings in 25 starts between the Class A Advanced Carolina League and Double-A Eastern League. The Rhode Island native was 1-2 with a 3.63 ERA, 29 punchouts
Following the trade, he walked eight times in 34 2/3 innings for Double-A New Hampshire.
The 23-year-old throws a fastball, changeup, and curveball. While none of them are regarded plus offerings, all three are ranked 50 or higher on MLB Pipeline’s 20-80 scouting scale, with his 55-grade curveball sticking out.
Pannone issued a message on Twitter denying the test results and claiming his innocence.
“I have worked too hard to get where I am today to jeopardize my reputation and my career by taking a performance-enhancing drug,” he told reporters. “I have the utmost respect for my family, my teammates, my organization and the fans to let my character be called into question.”I hope that future athletes who unintentionally test positive for DHCMT will have
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