Former Phillies LHP Bastardo Receives 140-Game Suspension

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

Major League Baseball has suspended former Philadelphia Phillies southpaw Antonio Bastardo for 140 games, after testing positive for Stanozolol, a performance-enhancing substance, according to MLB.com's Anthony DiComo.

This is Bastardo's second violation of the Major League Baseball Drug Program, the first being a 50-game suspension while a Phillie in 2013, as he was among 13 total players linked to Biogenesis.

In six seasons with the Phillies from 2009-2014, Bastardo, 32, went 20-18 with a 3.72 ERA and 324-125 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 275 appearances and 259 innings. The Hato Mayor del Rey, Dominican Republic, native has since appeared in 144 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Mets from 2015-2017.

The Phillies traded Bastardo to the Pirates on Dec. 10, 2014, in exchange for southpaw Joely Rodriguez. After going 1-2 with a 5.40 ERA in 38 appearances with the Phillies in 2016 and 2017, Rodriguez was dealt to the Texas Rangers on June 13, 2017, for a player to be named later or cash considerations.

Bastardo signed a minor-league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks on January 23, but was released on March 20.

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