Bartolo Colon Joins List of Dominican Republic Players Who Have Tested Positive for PEDs

Major League Baseball suspended veteran starting pitcher Bartolo Colon for 50 games on Wednesday for testing positive for testosterone.

Colon, 39, has been a solid contributor for the Oakland A's this season. With 40 games remaining in the the regular season, the suspension means Colon will end the season with a 10-9 record and a 3.43 earned-run average in 24 starts.

"I apologize to the fans, to my team mates and to the Oakland A's," Colon said in a statement released by the players' association. "I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the joint drug program."

The Dominican Republic native joins fellow countryman Melky Cabrera as players in August who received the mandatory suspension for performance-enhancing drugs. Cabrera was among the best hitters in the National League in 2012, with a .346 batting average and 11 home runs for the San Francisco Giants.

Since the start of the 2009 season, there have have seven players who have been suspended 50 games for PEDs, and five of them have been Dominican players. Manny Ramirez, Edinson Volquez, and Guillermo Mota were suspended for PEDs, and Ramirez and Mota were two-time offenders.

Neifi Perez, an infielder from the Dominican Republic, who has not played in the majors since 2007, was also suspended twice.

There have been 29 total players who have been suspended for PEDs since Major League Baseball started suspending players in 2005.

Colon has enjoyed a prestigious career over 15 major-league seasons. He won the Cy Young in 2005, as a member of the Los Angeles Angels, and is a two-time All-Star with 171 wins.

Colon underwent controversial surgery in the Dominican Republic in 2010 where stem cells were injected into his elbow and shoulder to repair ligament damage and a torn rotator cuff.

In 2011, Colon had an 8-10 record and 4.00 ERA as a member of the New York Yankees.