MLB Rumors 2016: Francescon, Colon Suspended by League for Drug Violation
The MLB handed down harsh punishments for two pitchers for violating the minor league's drug policy. After testing positive for drug use for the second time, Cleveland's Joseph Colon and Chicago Cubs' P.J. Francescon have been suspended 50 games each.
The 25-year-old Colon is a right-hander who came up with a good 3-0 record and a 3.14 ERA in 32 games as a reliever for Double-A Akron and Triple-A Columbus minor league clubs. Before the suspension, he was supposed to have been invited to join major league spring training. The opportunity has eventually been scraped off because of the punishment, and it should have been the biggest break Colon could have made for himself; instead, it's all gone.
Francescon on the other hand is a 27-year-old who was 4-2 and with a 1.69 ERA in 42 games as a reliever for Double-A Tennessee. Before playing for Tennessee, he also had a single start, as well as two relief appearances for Triple-A Iowa.
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Suspensions under the minor league drug program are never lenient and relaxed as most people would think. Although it concerns the minors, it has a history of handing out a large number of suspensions; for example, 108 were given last year. However, Colon and Francescon's suspensions are actually the very first for this year. But it's still January and there are a lot to be meted out later on.
Obviously, the suspension can only be served during the season, which means both players are going to be out for quite a long time at the start of the new season.
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced the suspension when the two tested positive for a banned substance for the second time. In all instances, players who are tested positive for the first time are given a warning and a suspension follows upon the commission of a second offense. The league, in its rules, considers several substances as "drugs of abuse," including cocaine, heroin, marijuana, ecstasy, LSD, and other kinds of opiates. But for those who are tested positive for PEDs, the 50-game suspension is immediately handed out.
