KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Suddenly surging Ervin Santana remains subject to a 2015 postseason ban after serving an 80-game steroid suspension, but could the Twins rework their rotation to feature him in a potential Game 163?
According to Section 7 of the Joint Drug Agreement, a one-game tiebreaker ban applies only to players coming off 162-game suspensions that began with the first game of that season. Because Santana is a first-time offender, he would be allowed to pitch a Game 163 should the Twins have to go that route for the third time in eight years.
Santana is on track to make five more starts down the stretch, with the next one falling in Friday's series opener in Chicago.