Front Page: Michael Pineda Suspended 60 Games For Banned Substance

[Parker Hageman]

One day after a solid performance against the Cleveland Indians, Major League Baseball announces it has suspended Michael Pineda for 60 games following a positive test for a banned substance.According to Pineda's statement, the pitcher had taken Hydrochlorothiazide, a banned diurectic under MLB's testing program.

 

Pineda says he took the medication that was given to him by a "close acquaintance, who obtained it over-the-counter". He went on to say he ingested several of those pills without the consent of the Minnesota Twins' medical staff.

 

Statement from the Twins regarding the suspension:

 

“We were disappointed to learn of the suspension of Michael Pineda for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. We fully support Major League Baseball’s policy and its efforts to eliminate banned substances from our game. Per the protocol outlined in the Joint Drug Program, the Minnesota Twins will not comment further on this matter.”

 

According to Ken Rosenthal, the league's arbitrator decided to reduce Pineda's suspension from 80-games to 60 after an appeals process. Nevertheless, the Twins' pitcher remains ineligible for the postseason, a crushing development to what had become one of the team's best arms in the second-half of the season.

 

In nine starts since the All Star break, Pineda was 5-1 with a 3.04 ERA while striking out 56 and walking just 12 in 53.1 innings.

 

Click here to view the article

[ashbury]

Gut punch.

 

Thanks, Mike.

[Vanimal46]

Wow. Takes the wind right out of my sail.

[hybridbear]

What horrible news!! Pineda had been doing great! It’s so frustrating that these athletes can’t manage to keep track of what they’re putting in their bodies to avoid issues like this. Without Pineda im their playoff rotation the Twins have no chance to advance beyond the ALDS. And with this loss they might not even win the division. Any optimism I had for the playoffs is now gone with Berríos looking terrible, Gibson hurt, and now Pineda gone.

[ashbury]

"Hydrochlorothiazide is a diuretic and masking agent prohibited under Section S5 of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) Prohibited List. ... Diuretics can mask other prohibited substances by increasing urine volume, thereby diluting the presence of any other substances present in a urine sample."

 

https://www.sportsintegrityinitiative.com/jockeys-ban-raises-questions-hydrochlorothiazide-sanctions/

[Squirrel]

Awww, Crap! Yes, with a capital ‘c’.

[jokin]

 

What horrible news!! Pineda had been doing great! It’s so frustrating that these athletes can’t manage to keep track of what they’re putting in their bodies to avoid issues like this.

 

Pineda's history suggest he knew exactly what he was doing.

[Seth Stohs]

From Ken Rosenthal:

 

 

[bighat]

How the heck are the Twins even going to win this division with Perez, a worn-down Berrios, an illness-stricken Gibson and a flavor-of-the-week rookie starting 4/5 of their games the rest of the way?

[hybridbear]

How the heck are the Twins even going to win this division with Perez, a worn-down Berrios, an illness-stricken Gibson and a flavor-of-the-week rookie starting 4/5 of their games the rest of the way?

They won’t. Plain & simple.

[hybridbear]

Pineda's history suggest he knew exactly what he was doing.

What history?

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Hey Big Mike, that is some bad teammating you did there.

[hybridbear]

Pineda says he took the medication that was given to him by a "close acquaintance, who obtained it over-the-counter". He went on to say he ingested several of those pills without the consent of the Minnesota Twins' medical staff.

¡Que menso!! That’s just so dumb. I don’t get why these professional athletes can’t seem to understand that they need to clear things with the team.

[USAFChief]

Wow.

 

And what George Carlin said you cant say on TV.

[adorduan]

Nobody to blame but himself.  Stupid.

[mickeymental]

free brusdar!

[Blake]

Give Pineda credit, he owned it and didn't throw the Twins under the bus. 

 

Could just as easily pointed fingers at the Twins medical staff.

 

Hopefully, the Twins will find a way to overcome this setback.

[Vanimal46]

Not sure they can win a play in game now, let alone a 5 or 7 game series... Disappointing.

[ashbury]

Pineda's history suggest he knew exactly what he was doing.

The arbitrator reduced the standard suspension, which suggests there was no evidence of other substances being masked.

[adorduan]

If it was me, I'd stretch Thorpe out and hope to catch lightning in a bottle somehow.

[Kevin]

 

The arbitrator reduced the standard suspension, which suggests there was no evidence of other substances being masked.

Well, maybe.

But if other things were masked, they would not show up in testing.

Pineda's history of use of pine tar while pitching suggests he is willing to loosely interpret the rules.

And he is returning from TJ surgery, and "other substances" can speed healing.

 

[jokin]

 

The arbitrator reduced the standard suspension, which suggests there was no evidence of other substances being masked.

 

Pineda has been suspended for breaking the rules previously. The Twins knew the risks with Pineda, and the arbitrator reducing the suspension from 80 to 60 games does little to mitigate this disastrous outcome for the Twins post-season chances.

[twinbythebay]

Well, that sucks. But everyone needs to take a deep breath, they're still 5.5 games up with 20 games left. This team has shown this season that they're capable of battling through adversity. They've got more mental toughness than the negative comment brigade here thinks they do.

[3balls2strikes]

Next man up! Smeltzer, Littell, Thorpe, somebody. Opportunity has presented itself, take it and run with it!

 

[ashbury]

Pineda has been suspended for breaking the rules previously. The Twins knew the risks with Pineda, and the arbitrator reducing the suspension from 80 to 60 games does little to mitigate this disastrous outcome for the Twins post-season chances.

Pineda was suspended for 10 games for pine tar on his neck. Using that as innuendo for what is being treated as a first-offense of the drug policy, itself reduced by an arbitrator based on exculpatory evidence, is disingenuous. And my comment did not address the post-season, which obviously is affected the same with or without the reduction. Which leads me to...

 

Moderator's Note: It should be obvious, this thread will be monitored for disrespectful posting and for trolling, according to the usual site policy.

[Rosterman]

Well, makes NOT pursuing a starter during the trade deadline really stand out as a season moment now. So, the Twins have Stewart, Thorpe, Smeltzer who should be given every opportunity to step up and show they belong on the team next year! Let's hope the Twins can still win the division. Sunday's game will be an extra special turning poin of where the rest of the season will go!

[puckstopper1]

%#%$##%%!

[Squirrel]

%#%$##%%!

Concur.

 

Big time.

 

Unfortunately.

[yarnivek1972]

Well, makes NOT pursuing a starter during the trade deadline really stand out as a season moment now. So, the Twins have Stewart, Thorpe, Smeltzer who should be given every opportunity to step up and show they belong on the team next year! Let's hope the Twins can still win the division. Sunday's game will be an extra special turning poin of where the rest of the season will go!

Makes one wonder when the Twins were notified of a failed test. The appeals process is typically not fast.

[bcs4]

Realistically, this should only be 2 losses at the most between now and the end of the year depending on how the Twins take it.  Hopefully this will motivate the other pitchers and the rest of the team. 

 

This will matter the most if they make the playoffs because he's been the Twins best pitcher in the second half.