9 Minor Leaguers found w/ steroids
Players were tested at Florida camps
Associated Press
NEW YORK -- Former New York Mets pitcher Grant Roberts was among nine players suspended for 15 games Friday for violating baseball's minor league steroids policy, raising the total this year to 47.
Outfielder Adam Seuss, who was released by the Mets and then signed with the Houston Astros, also tested positive for violating the steroids policy.
Three of the players suspended were from the Baltimore Orioles organization: Gary Cates Jr., Rafael Diaz and Richard Salazar. Also suspended were James Jurries and Ricardo Rodriguez (Atlanta Braves), Eider Torres (Cleveland Indians) and Damien Myers (released by the Detroit Tigers).
Roberts was removed from the Mets major league roster last November, then went to spring training with a minor league contract. The 27-year-old right-hander pitched in one spring training game, pitching a scoreless inning March 6 against Washington, then was released April 14.
He has a 5-5 career major league record with a 4.25 ERA in one start and 75 relief appearances with the Mets from 2000-04.
Baseball specified in its announcement Friday that all suspensions were for performance-enhancing substances. Baseball classifies marijuana as a drug of abuse, a different category.
Major League Baseball said the latest suspensions resulted from 251 tests taken at Florida spring training camps. Of the prior suspensions, 37 came as a result of 925 tests at Arizona camps and one from offseason testing.
All but one of the previous suspensions were for first offenses, with Oakland's David Castillo drawing a 60-game ban, the penalty for a third offense.
Three players have received 10-day suspensions this year for violating the major league steroids policy: Tampa Bay outfielder Alex Sanchez, Colorado outfielder Jorge Piedra and Texas minor league pitcher Agustin Montero, who was on the big league roster during spring training.
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