(Reuters) - New York Mets relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia has been suspended for 162 games after testing positive for banned substances a second time, Major League Baseball said on Tuesday.
The ban is one of the longest suspensions in baseball, matching the penalty handed New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez in 2013.
Mejia’s suspension is effective immediately and is equivalent to an entire regular season. It came after the right-hander tested positive for stanozolol and boldenone, MLB said.
Mejia returned to the majors less than three weeks ago after serving out a previous 80-game suspension for a performance-enhancing substance violation on April 11, 2015.