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White Sox reliever Guerra suspended

Charlotte right-hander, 29, tested positive twice for drug of abuse
July 8, 2015

White Sox right-hander Javy Guerra was suspended for 50 games Wednesday after failing his second drug test.

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball said Guerra received a 50-game suspension without pay after a second positive test for a drug of abuse in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The suspension is effective immediately.

Guerra, 29, appeared in four rehab games with Triple-A Charlotte earlier this season after beginning the year in the Majors in Chicago's bullpen, where he pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief over three games. The White Sox placed him on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation on April 20 before sending him to Charlotte on a rehab assignment on April 27. 

Guerra allowed five runs on five hits while recording two outs in his last appearance on May 5 before the White Sox designated him for assignment a day later. He was outrighted to Charlotte's roster and went back on the DL on May 15.

Players are typically issued a warning following a first positive test for a drug of abuse and a suspension for a second offense. Substances considered "drugs of abuse" by Major League Baseball include cocaine, marijuana, heroin, LSD, ecstasy and other opiates.

The right-hander has appeared in 146 Major League games since 2011 and is 6-9 with a 2.87 ERA in 150 1/3 career innings for the Dodgers and White Sox. He's 28-31 with a 4.28 ERA and 479 strikeouts in 500 1/3 career Minor League innings over 237 outings.

The Denton, Texas native was the Dodgers' fourth-round pick in the 2004 Draft.

Major League Baseball has handed out 69 suspensions to 68 players this year for violations of the Minor League drug program.

Danny Wild is an editor for MiLB.com. Follow his MLBlog column, Minoring in Twitter.