Jenrry Mejia is suspended again. (Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports)
Major League Baseball suspended New York Mets pitcher Jenrry Mejia for 162 games on Tuesday after a second failed drug test this season.
Mejia returned July 7 from an 80-game suspension that began in April for using a performance-enhancing drug. The latest suspension involved a positive test for Stanozolol and Boldenone, which are both considered PEDs, and begins immediately.
The ban is the longest for performance-enhancing substances in MLB history, matching Alex Rodriguez’s 162-game suspension last season. Meija is the first major leagueer to fail two PED tests.
The 25-year-old Mejia had pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings of relief this season in a setup role, allowing four hits and two walks with seven strikeouts.
—The Los Angeles Angels bolstered their roster on Tuesday, acquiring outfielders David DeJesus from the Tampa Bay Rays and David Murphy from the Cleveland Indians, according to reports.
The veterans join Shane Victorino, who came to the Angels from the Boston Red Sox in Monday.
The deal for DeJesus included minor league right-hander Eduar Lopez going to the Rays. The Angels sent 23-year-old minor league infielder Eric Stamets to the Indians in exchange for Murphy. All three are expected to compete for the left-field job, with Mike Trout and Kole Calhoun manning center and field, respectively.
—Angels right-hander Jered Weaver will make a rehab start at Class A Inland Empire on Thursday night.
Weaver has been on the disabled list for five weeks. He went 4-8 with a 4.75 ERA in 15 starts before his inflamed left hip forced the Angels to act. Tests revealed no structural damage, but the team said it would take its time bringing Weaver back.
—While the Philadelphia Phillies would like to receive offers from other teams for starting pitcher Cole Hamels by Wednesday, they reportedly traded closer Jonathan Papelbon to the Washington Nationals.
The deal for Papelbon had yet to be announced by the teams, but according to a MLB.com, the Nationals would include right-hander Nick Pivetta.
Papelbon said he wanted to leave Philadelphia but hinted that he was only willing to be a closer and not a setup man for another team. The Nationals have a solid closer with Drew Storen, who has 29 saves and a 1.73 ERA this season, but it appears he would move to the setup role to make way for Papelbon, who has 17 saves and a 1.59 ERA this season.
Hamels was scheduled to start Thursday, but the team is planning to push him back at least one day while mulling his future.
—Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was a huge acquisition for the Blue Jays, but Toronto isn’t bowing out of the arms race before Friday’s non-waiver deadline. After acquiring Tulowitzki early in a five-player deal with the Colorado Rockies, the Blue Jays are setting their sights on starting pitching.
Multiple outlets reported a primary target was Chicago White Sox right-hander Jeff Samardzija.
The Blue Jays, who pasted their new shortstop’s photo on the team’s official Twitter feed on Tuesday, landed Tulowitzki and reliever LaTroy Hawkins in exchange for shortstop Jose Reyes and minor league prospects. Right-handed pitcher Jeff Hoffman, Toronto’s first-round pick in 2014, was the key to the deal for the Rockies. Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco, both right-handed pitchers, also head to Colorado.
—Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore pulled off his second major trade of the month Tuesday, acquiring Ben Zobrist from the Oakland Athletics.
The Royals landed the 34-year-old by giving up one of their top prospects, left-handed pitcher Sean Manaea. The 34th overall pick in 2013 has 39 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings in 2015 and 185 strikeouts in 153 1/3 total minor league innings.
Kansas City entered play Tuesday with the best record in the American League and bolstered a 2014 World Series roster with additions of right-handed ace Johnny Cueto and Zobrist. Cueto will debut for the Royals on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Zobrist can play almost any position, and primarily was used at second base and left field with the A’s.
—The St. Louis Cardinals activated left-hander Jaime Garcia from the 15-day disabled list and optioned right-hander Sam Tuivailala to Triple-A on Tuesday.
Gracia, who was sidelined with a left groin strain, was the starter for Tuesday night’s game against the Cincinnati Reds.
The 29-year-old missed 20 games after going on the DL on July 4. This season in seven starts before the injury, Garcia had a 3-3 record with a 1.69 ERA. He last pitched on June 24 in Miami.
Tuivailala is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA for the Cardinals this season. He had not allowed a run and had seven strikeouts in his last eight outings spanning eight innings.
—The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum’s Board of Directors made a change in its voting eligibility on Tuesday.
To be eligible for the Hall of Fame vote, Baseball Writers Association of America members must be covering the game for at least 10 years or be no more than 10 years removed from active involvement.
BBWAA members previously holding Hall of Fame voting privileges who are no longer active in the game and are more than 10 years removed from active status will have the opportunity for annual reinstatement, based on their coverage of the game in the preceding year.
There are about 650 BBWAA members eligible to vote as 10-year BBWAA members.
