Steven Wright suspended 80 games for failing PED test

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright has been suspended for 80 games for violating baseball's joint drug agreement. Wright tested positive for Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide 2, which is classified as a performance-enhancing drug.

Wright will be eligible to return June 24 but will also be ineligible for the postseason.

He appealed the results of the test but was informed Tuesday night that his appeal was denied. Wright said he told the Red Sox last week that he had failed the test -- administered in the offseason -- and that a suspension was a likely outcome.

Wright is the first Red Sox player to be suspended under the major league portion of the testing program since it began in 2004. Others have been suspended in the minor leagues, including Michael Chavis last April.

"It's unfortunate,'' said Wright. "I never thought it would ever come down to this, but I respect the joint drug treatment program and unfortunately, we couldn't figure out how this particular substance got into my system and at the end of the day, it falls on me to try to prevent that. Unfortunately, some way it got into my body and I don't know how. But it is what it is and I just have to try to move on from it.

"At the end of the day, it falls on me. Even if I could figure out how it got into my system, it falls on my to try to prove that it was unintentional. Unfortunately, I can't because I don't know where it came from. I respect the program; I think it's a great thing for the game. I'm just going serve the suspension and try to utilize the time off to try to get healthier.''

Said Alex Cora: "Obviously disappointed, but we'll give the player the support that he needs. He's still part of the organization. That's all I can say about it. You never think about it, but it is what it is. We just have to turn the page, give him the support he needs and move on.''

BSJ Analysis

The news, while a surprise, won't do much to change things for the Red Sox pitching staff.

Wright underwent an arthroscopic procedure last November after the World Series and hadn't been cleared to begin throwing off a mound again, so even absent Wednesday's news, he wasn't going to be ready to start the season with the team.

He had undergone cartilage-restoration surgery in May of 2017 -- similar to the one performed on Dustin Pedroia  six months later -- and has yet to fully recover.

Over the winter, Wright's name was mentioned a number of times by president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski as a potential late-inning bullpen candidate, but that never seemed realistic, given Wright's chronic unavailability for the last few seasons.

"We'll adjust,'' said Cora of the loss. "We went through it in the ALDS (when Wright, who had been on the Red Sox' submitted playoff roster, told the Red Sox that his knee had worsened and he would be unavailable). We made adjustments throughout. We will (again).''

There are plenty of candidates for the bullpen spot and with Brian Johnson and Hector Velazquez, the Sox have candidates to fill in as spot starters.

But the larger question might be Wright's future with the organization.

This spring marks the second time in as many years that Wright has been unavailable to the Red Sox because of off-field issues. Last year, he was given a 15-game suspension by Major League Baseball after MLB investigated an incident with his wife that took place earlier in the offseason.

Wright served that suspension and returned and pitched well in 20 games with a 2.68 ERA.

But his sudden, last-minute removal from the ALDS didn't sit well with some in the organization since the Sox had to scramble to add a healthy pitcher to replace him. And, of course, the Red Sox were displeased with the domestic incident which resulted in the earlier suspension.

Wright has been a successful -- and versatile -- pitcher when healthy and his knuckleball represents a unique weapon since, in 2019, no other major league pitcher throws it with regularity, nor the success he's enjoyed with it.

But at some point, Wright's off-field issues threaten to overshadow what he contributes on the mound.