Boston Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright suspended without pay after failing drug test: officials

Boston Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright will be sitting on the sidelines at the start of the upcoming MLB regular season after receiving an 80-game suspension following a positive drug test, officials said Wednesday.

The news was addressed on the club’s website, which said the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball revealed Wright, 34, tested positive for “Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide 2 (GHRP-2), a performance-enhancing substance.”

The test result goes against the league’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and as a result, Wright will be suspended without pay, according to the website.

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"The Boston Red Sox fully support Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from the game,” the Red Sox said in a statement. “While we are disappointed by the news of this violation, we will look to provide the appropriate support to Steven at this time.”

Wright addressed the matter in a separate statement, saying he was surprised after the league informed him of the failed drug test.

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“Although I do not dispute the validity of the test, I was shocked, as I have never intentionally ingested anything for performance-enhancing purposes,” Wright said. “I have fully cooperated with MLB and will continue to try and identify the source of the result.”

The decision comes after Wright accepted a 15-game suspension in spring training last year under the league’s domestic violence policy.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.