Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright was suspended 80 games after testing positive for a substance that boosts growth-hormone development. The 34-year-old right-hander denied that he “intentionally ingested anything for performance-enhancing purposes” but accepted responsibility, as the ban deals a blow to the defending champions’ bullpen.
“Unfortunately, we couldn’t figure out how this particular substance got into my system,” Wright said Wednesday at Boston’s spring training facility in Fort Myers, Florida, adding that he learned of the suspension Tuesday evening. “At the end of the day, it falls on me to try to prevent that. And unfortunately, somewhere it got into my body, and I don’t know how.