Brewers pitcher J.C. Mejía suspended 162 games for PED violation
Mejía, in his third MLB season, has been on the injured list for more than a month
Major League Baseball suspended Milwaukee Brewers pitcher J.C. Mejía for 162 games after he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug for the second time. As a result of this suspension, Mejia will be eligible to play again late next season.
Mejía tested positive for Stanozolol.
“The Milwaukee Brewers fully support MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and share in the goal of eliminating performance-enhancing substances from our game,” the Brewers said in a statement, via the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Mejía is the first player in the league to be suspended under MLB’s drug agreement since Fernando Tatís Jr. was suspended 80 games for a violation last fall. Tatís Jr. returned to the lineup for the San Diego Padres earlier this year.
Mejía was suspended for 80 games in May 2022 after he tested positive for Stanozolol, a synthetic steroid derived from testosterone.
Mejía, 27, is in his third season in the league. He has made nine appearances and holds a 1-0 record and a 5.56 ERA. He has 13 strikeouts and has walked three batters in just more than 11 innings on the mound this season. He landed on the injured list last month with right shoulder inflammation and was transferred to the 60-day injured list earlier this month.
Mejía has a 2-7 career record and an 8.32 ERA in his three seasons in the league. He got his start with the Cleveland Guardians in 2021 and was traded to the Brewers after his rookie season. Milwaukee re-signed him to a minor-league deal this past offseason.
The Brewers entered Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals with an 85-66 record and a six-game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The Brewers started the day just five games away from clinching the division and securing their fifth postseason appearance in the past six years.
