Rays' pitching prospect suspended 50 games
Former first-round draft pick Taylor Guerrieri was suspended for 50 games as the result of a positive test for a drug of abuse, the commissioner's office announced Friday.
Guerrieri, a top-100 prospect selected by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2011, pitched for Class A Bowling Green in the Midwest League this season before he sustained an elbow injury that will require reconstructive surgery.
The Tampa Bay Times reported that the suspension was a second violation for what is believed to be marijuana use.
The 20-year-old Guerrieri, who received a $1.6 million signing bonus as the 24th overall pick in 2011, will begin serving the suspension at the start of next season, but it's unlikely he will pitch after undergoing the Tommy John procedure.
In 67 innings covering 14 starts in Class A this year, Guerrieri posted a 6-2 record with a 2.01 ERA.
