Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Alex Colome has been suspended 50 games without pay after testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance, Major League Baseball announced Monday.
Colome, 25, is a career 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA and 12 strikeouts in three starts with the Rays, all last season. A member of Tampa Bay's system since 2007, he was 4-6 with a 3.07 ERA and 72 strikeouts as part of Triple-A Durham last year.
The Rays issued a statement regarding the situation.
"We were disappointed to learn of Alex Colome's violation of Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," the statement read. "We fully support Major League Baseball's policy and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from our game. Per the protocol outlined in the Joint Drug Program, the organization will not comment further on this matter."
Boldenone is an anabolic steroid commonly applied for veterinary use. Colome, thought to offer depth in the Rays' pitching staff this summer, has appeared in one inning this spring with one strikeout and one hit allowed.
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