Minnesota Twins right-hander Michael Pineda has been suspended 60 games for a drug violation.
Pineda was originally handed the customary 80-game ban, but the punishment was reduced by 20 contests after a prohibited diuretic was revealed to be in his system, but not for the purposes of acting as a masking agent for performance-enhancing drugs.
"I mistakenly took a medication that was given to me by a close acquaintance, who obtained it over-the-counter and assured me it would safely help me manage my weight," Pineda said in a statement the MLBPA released. "I ingested a few of these pills without the consent of the Twins' training staff. Testing revealed trace elements of a substance called Hydrochlorothiazide, which is a banned diuretic under baseball's testing program."
Pineda, 30, has performed remarkably for the division-leading Twins, authoring a 4.01 ERA and 4.02 FIP over 26 starts.
"We were disappointed to learn of the suspension of Michael Pineda for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," the Twins said in a statement Mark Feinsand of MLB.com obtained. "We fully support Major League Baseball's policy and its efforts to eliminate banned substances from our game."
The right-hander is coming off a crucial start against the Cleveland Indians when he allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out 10 in the no-decision. Despite his effort, the Twins lost to their division rival.
