Rockies pitcher Biembenido Brito and free agent outfielder Pablo Abad suspended for drug tests

NEW YORK (AP) — Colorado Rockies minor league pitcher Biembenido Brito was suspended for 60 games and free agent outfielder Pablo Abad for 56 on Monday by Major League Baseball following positive tests for performance-enhancing substances.

Brito tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Stanozolol and for Hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic and masking agent. He was disciplined under the minor league drug program, the commissioner’s office said.

Abad tested positive for Stanozolol and was penalized under the drug program for minor league players assigned outside the U.S. and Canada.

Brito, a 22-year-old right-hander, agreed to a minor league contract with Texas in 2021 that included a $10,000 signing bonus. He was released by the Rangers in July 2024 and signed with the Rockies on May 23.

He was 1-2 with a 2.97 ERA in seven starts and nine relief appearances for the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Rockies, striking out 38 and walking 18 in 33 1/3 innings. Brito is 6-7 with a 5.94 ERA in 19 starts and 31 relief appearances over parts of four minor league seasons.

Abad, 19, signed with Cincinnati in June 2023 for a $10,000 bonus and was released last November. He hit .121 with one homer and six RBIs in 36 games over two seasons in the Dominican Summer League.

Abad’s suspension will start when he signs with a major league organization.

Eleven players have been suspended this year for positive tests, including nine under minor league programs. Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar was suspended for 80 games on March 31 and Philadelphia Phillies closer José Alvarado for 80 games on May 25 under the major league program.

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