MLB roundup: A's Colon receives 50-game suspension

Athletics starting pitcher Bartolo Colon, the former Cy Young award winner and two-time All-Star, won't be around for Oakland's surprising pennant push and news of his 50-game suspension stunned teammates who had come to rely on the popular and dependable veteran.

A week to the day after San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera was hit with a 50-game suspension for testing positive for testosterone, Colon was also suspended for 50-games for testing positive for the same substance.

"It's a shock," Athletics closer Grant Balfour said. "He's a guy that we're definitely relying on right now. I guess you could say it's bad timing any time, but especially now."

The Athletics entered play Wednesday one-half game out of the final wild card spot in the American League and five games behind Texas in the American League West.

Colon was having a resurgent season for the Athletics with a 10-9 record and 3.43 ERA. He leads the team in wins, innings pitched (152.1) and starts with 24. In those 24 starts, Colon pitched seven or more innings 11 times.

He was scheduled to start at Tampa on Thursday.

"I apologize to the fans, to my teammates and to the Oakland A's," Colon said in a statement released by the players' association. "I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the joint drug program."

General manager Billy Beane and manager Bob Melvin held a meeting with players Wednesday before the clubhouse was open to media to make the announcement.

Beane had this response, "The A's support the joint drug-policy program put in by both the union and Major League Baseball. Right now, it affects our baseball team and we've got to move forward. We're all disappointed for not just the Giants and the A's, but for baseball."

Melvin plans to use right-hander Tyson Ross, recalled from Triple A-Sacramento, to make Thursday's start. Ross is 2-8 with a 6.35 ERA in 12 starts with Oakland this year and has a 5.16 ERA in 47 big-league appearances overall. The series opener with the Rays will likely be his only start before top prospect Dan Straily can be recalled from Sacramento. The first-round pick in 2009 was optioned August 20 and cannot be called back for 10 days unless the Athletics have an injury requiring a disabled list stint.

"We're fortunate to have depth in starting pitching and now is the time to rely on that depth," Beane added. "I addressed the team. I hope the game itself will take the focus off Colon. We're looking at this game and tomorrow. The loss of any player hurts this time of the year. But we've been a pretty resilient group."

Colon was very popular amongst his teammates and developed a good camaraderie with the pitching staff, and he was also considered a strong postseason option given his experience.

Melvin was encouraged by the start of Brett Anderson who won his first start in more than 14 months in his return from Tommy John surgery Tuesday.

"That is a boost for us, knowing we have another top-of-the-rotation guy," Melvin said. "A guy who has pitched in the big leagues and has a little more experience than some of our other guys. For him to pitch so well his first time out made us feel good going forward."

Colon has a career record of 171-122 in 15 seasons and won the American League Cy Young award for the Angels in 2005 with a record of 21-8.

His one-year deal includes a $2 million salary, of which he will forfeit the remaining $469,945 because of the suspension. He earned $600,000 in performance bonuses.

San Francisco reliever Guillermo Mota received a 100-game suspension for his second positive PED test, Philadelphia infielder Freddy Galvis, and free agent outfielder Marlon Byrd were each suspended 50 games in June for positive drug tests.

---The Mets placed Johan Santana on the disabled list with lower-back inflammation, ending what the team rates as a triumphant return from surgery on his pitcher shoulder.

Santana has been erratic since coming back from his recent stint on the disabled list. The Mets, hoping to get him a few more starts, mapped out a plan for Santana to make at least one or two more starts on a strict limit of 75-80 pitches.

But before the Mets' loss to Colorado on Tuesday, Santana underwent an MRI to determine whether back pain will force him to shut down for the season. All things considered, the Mets are pleased with Santana's 2012 results, which include the first perfect game in franchise history. He missed all of last season and posted his highest ERA (4.85) since his rookie season with the Minnesota Twins in 2000, going 6-9 with 11 strikeouts and 39 walks. Santana had gone nine straight seasons with an ERA of 3.33 or lower.

"He has to be very, very happy he has gotten this far, which he is," manager Terry Collins said of Santana's first season back from left shoulder surgery. "Even though he isn't pitching good right now, he is the first guy to stand up and talk about it. The one thing he is happy about: He is healthy."

Though Santana can still return at some point in September, an extra month of rest might be more beneficial to his surgically repaired shoulder than a few extra starts would be to his ego.

The Mets turn Thursday to 25-year-old prospect Collin McHugh, who is 2-2 with a 2.45 ERA, 52 strikeouts and 19 walks over his last nine starts for Triple-A Buffalo. The Mets considered 22-year-old Jenrry Mejia for the assignment, but passed him over in favor of McHugh.

McHugh joined the Mets before Wednesday's game, making it easy for them to activate him Thursday.

---Reds Double-A shortstop Billy Hamilton broke Vince Coleman's 29-year-old record for steals in a season with 146.

Hamilton had four stolen bases in the first game of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos' doubleheader to best the record Coleman set in 113 games with the Macon (Ga.) Redbirds, the St. Louis Cardinals' Class-A affiliate.

The major league record is 130 steals, set by Rickey Henderson in 1982.

Hamilton has played in 120 games this season.

---Yankees right-hander Ivan Nova will miss at least one start with inflammation in his shoulder.

Nova was sent back to New York for tests, manager Joe Girardi said before Wednesday's series finale with the White Sox.

Nova felt a "grab" in his right shoulder in the sixth inning Tuesday, when he allowed six runs and suffered his seventh loss of the season.

Nova is 11-7 with a 4.92 ERA with 139 strikeouts in 157 1/3 innings.

David Phelps will remain in the starting rotation. He was ticketed for the bullpen after filling in for CC Sabathia, but the Yankees like what they've seen from him as a starter. Phelps, 25, went 6 2/3 innings and struck out seven in a 4-1 loss to the Red Sox on Saturday.

---Left-handed starting pitcher Randy Wolf was released by the Milwaukee Brewers.

He allowed a National League-high 179 hits and 90 earned runs and was 3-10 overall with a 5.69 ERA.

Wolf turned 36 Wednesday and was 0-4 with a 6.57 ERA in his past five starts.

Wolf was in the final year of a three-year, $29.75 million contract. The Brewers will be on the hook for a $1.5 million buyout for avoiding the club option of $10 million in 2013.

Right-hander Shaun Marcum is expected to be activated from the disabled list this weekend and fill Wolf's spot in the rotation.

In the interim, infielder Jeff Bianchi, recalled from Triple-A Nashville, will fill the spot on the 25-man roster.