White Sox catcher Welington Castillo was officially suspended by Major League Baseball on Thursday after news of the suspension leaked Wednesday night.
Erythropoietin is a hormone produced by the kidney that promotes increased red blood cell production. Endurance athletes have used this hormone to increase oxygen delivery. Increased oxygen delivery allows the body to recover from aerobic activity faster and was the drug of choice for Lance Armstrong and Alex Rodriguez. Rick Hahn issued the following statement on Castillo's suspension.
It appears Castillo has accepted responsibility for his mistakes and apologized to his teammates. Castillo's dismissal is a blow to the White Sox lineup that has recently discovered its power stroke. Castillo was batting .267 with six home runs and catalyzed a catatonic White Sox lineup. He was batting .360 over the last seven games. With Kevin Smith placed back on the DL after ankle troubles the White Sox will be hardpressed to find a satisfying backup backstop. Omar Narvaez will assume the everyday responsibilities in Castillo's absence and Alfredo Gonzalez appears to be the only option at Triple-A in line for a promotion. Zack Collins and Seby Zavala are a stone's throw away from the big leagues, but Collins only recently rediscovered success at the plate and Zavala entered the DL a few days ago. The waiver wire seems the likeliest place to find a suitable alternative for a catcher to join the big league roster.
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Updated: May 24, 2018 -- 1:00 P.M. EST Soon after this report was published the White Sox made three roster moves in response to Leury Garcia's left knee injury and Castillo's suspension.Castillo issued a statement on his suspension through the MLB Players Association.
Despite Castillo's use of PEDs, Rick Hahn still feels he will be a part of the longer-term plan when he returns to the White Sox.
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