Five more pitchers suspended for PEDs

NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball suspended five more Dominican Minor Leaguers on Friday afternoon, ending a week that has seen 11 players suspended and the immediate implementation of random blood testing.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced that five Minor League pitchers have received 50-game suspensions after each tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Four of the five players suspended were playing in the Dominican Summer League; two DSL players were suspended on Wednesday and another was banned 50 games on Monday.

Washington Nationals pitchers Juan Diaz tested positive for Nandrolone and Jorge Hernandez tested positive for Boldenone. Florida Marlins pitchers Yeims Mendoza tested positive for Boldenone and Nandrolone, and Andy Parra also tested positive for Nandrolone. All four are members of their organization's Dominican Summer League teams.

Cleveland Indians pitcher Luis Morel, currently with Cleveland's Arizona League (Rookie) team, has been suspended after testing positive for Stanozolol.

The suspensions of all five players are effective immediately.

Morel was discovered in the unaffiliated Dominican Prospect League, where his 93-mph fastball earned an $80,000 contract from the Indians.

Dominican Summer League players have been among the most often suspended players over the past several years, prompting Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to appoint Sandy Alderson to head MLB's efforts in the Dominican Republic. Alderson's primary concern was addressing the use of PEDs in the Dominican.

One of the Dominican Prospect League's main mission statements include "repairing the image of the entire Dominican baseball community."

Major League Baseball has suspended 54 Minor Leaguers in 2010, including bans for six players from July 19-21. Selig announced on Thursday that Minor Leaguers would be subject to random blood testing in an effort to eliminate the use of human growth hormone, or HGH.

Minor Leaguers have previously undergone traditional urine testing for performance-enhancing drugs, but the new blood testing represents MLB's increased effort to eliminate HGH. Major League players are not subject to such blood testing because of their collective bargaining agreement through the MLB Players Association.