Philadelphia Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz has been suspended 25 games without pay for testing positive for an Amphetamine in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, the league announced.
The suspension is effective at the start of the 2013 regular season. Ruiz can participate in spring training games.
The 33-year-old is coming off his first career All-Star star appearance in 2012 and received eighth- and 10th-place votes in the National League Most Valuable Player voting after establishing career highs in hitting (.325) OPS (.935), home runs (16) and RBI (68) while playing in 114 games. He posted his career-best numbers despite missing a month with a foot injury.
Ruiz was also awarded the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Award, an honor that goes to the best defensive player on each major league team. Ruiz had a .994 fielding percentage in 2012, which tied for fifth in the big leagues among catchers.
Ruiz’s previous career-high for home runs was nine in 2009.