Pitcher Iriki suspended for 50 games
Major League Baseball said April 28 that New York Mets pitcher Yusaku Iriki had been suspended for 50 games, effective immediately, for testing positive for a performance enhancing substance.
MLB did not specify the substance the 33-year-old right-handed hurler used.
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New York Mets minor league pitcher Yusaku Iriki
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Iriki, who signed a one-year major league contract in January, struggled to a 5.93 ERA in six preseason outings.
At the end of March, he was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk.
In his nine-year career in Japan, Iriki was 35-35 with three saves and a 3.73 ERA. He posted a 6-7 record with a 3.35 ERA in 28 games for the Nippon Ham Fighters last year.
Pitcher Tetsu Yofu was rapped with a 15-game suspension for testing positive for a drug last May when he played for Double-A Birmingham of the Chicago White Sox.
The Japan Times Weekly: May 6, 2006 (C) All rights reserved
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