NEW YORK -- It turns out that Hector Santiago used more than just sticky stuff.Major League Baseball suspended the Seattle Mariners pitcher for 80 games on Thursday after a positive test for testosterone. This was exactly one month after he had been banned for 10 games for testing positive for external testosterone.The sticky substance penalty was not with pay. However, the suspension under MLB’s drug program will result in him losing about half of his $700,000. Major league salary.Santiago stated that in a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association, Santiago said, "In 2020, although I wasn't on the roster of a MLB team, I consulted with a licensed doctor in Puerto Rico who diagnosed my condition and recommended hormonal replacement therapy.""Because of my inability to play in 2020, this therapy did not cause me to be eligible for the MLB's joint drug program. However, I am the only one responsible for what I put into my body and I wasn't careful. I have therefore decided to forgo my right of appeal and accept the suspension. I am sorry for the inconvenience this has caused to the Seattle Mariners, Mariners fans, my teammates and, most importantly, my loved ones.Santiago, a 33-year old left-hander, is 1-1 this season with a 3.42 ERA in 13 relief games. He is a 10-year veteran of the big leagues, having gone 48-51 with a 4.12 ERA in six relief appearances for the Chicago White Sox (2011-13 to 2018-19), Los Angeles Angeles (2014)-16, Minnesota Twins (2016)-17, New York Mets (2019), and the Mariners.Santiago was the fourth major league player to be suspended for violating the drug program. He follows Colton Welker, Colton Welker from Colorado and Daniel Santos, San Francisco pitcher.
