Dan Serafini’s 50-game suspension handed down Tuesday was due to the use of a performance-enhancing substance.
The initial report made it sound as though Serafini had tested positive for marijuana or another drug, but that wasn’t the case. “While playing baseball in Japan, I suffered two significant injuries that limited my playing time to seven games in 2006 and nine games in 2007,” Serafini said in a written statement. “While trying to accelerate the healing process of these injuries, I took substances that were prescribed for me by a doctor in Japan.” He said he had not used the substances since signing with the Rockies in July. “Although I understand that I must accept the terms of the suspension, I want to make it known that I did not use any banned substances in order to gain a competitive advantage,” Serafini added. “While I regret the circumstances that led to this, I have learned that a major leaguer should only rely on medical care provided by US-based doctors.”
