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Three Minor Leaguers get PED suspensions

Red Sox's Pimentel, Rangers' Rodriguez receive lengthy bans
Yankory Pimentel has made 103 appearances since signing with the Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic in 2012. (Cliff Welch/MiLB.com)
June 9, 2017

NEW YORK -- Three Minor League pitchers received lengthy suspensions Friday for using performance-enhancing drugs.The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced that Red Sox right-hander Yankory Pimentel was suspended 80 games after testing positive for Stanozolol, while Rangers right-hander Yerry Rodriguez received a 75-game ban for a positive test

NEW YORK -- Three Minor League pitchers received lengthy suspensions Friday for using performance-enhancing drugs.
The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced that Red Sox right-hander Yankory Pimentel was suspended 80 games after testing positive for Stanozolol, while Rangers right-hander Yerry Rodriguez received a 75-game ban for a positive test for Hydroclorothiazide. Free agent right-hander Jose Hernandez was suspended 72 games for testing postive for metabolites of Stanozolol.

Both Stanozolol and Hydroclorothiazide are banned under the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. 
2017 Minor League drug suspensions
Pimentel made 15 appearances between Class A Advanced Salem and Double-A Portland this season, posting a 2.45 ERA with 27 strikeouts over 29 1/3 innings. He was promoted to the higher level on May 20 but was placed on the Sea Dogs' disabled list on June 2.
Rodriguez had yet to pitch in the United States, spending his first two seasons in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League after signing with the Rangers in September 2015. He made two DSL appearances this year, scattering six hits and a walk while striking out three over six scoreless innings. The 19-year-old posted a 2.66 ERA with 38 punchouts over 50 2/3 frames in the same circuit last season.
The suspensions of Pimentel and Hernandez are effective immediately. Hernandez's ban will begin once he signs with a Major League club.
Forty-one players have been suspended this year for violating the Minor League drug program.

Sam Dykstra is a reporter for MiLB.com. Follow and interact with him on Twitter, @SamDykstraMiLB.