Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday that Boston Red Sox starter Steven Wright has been suspended 80 games after testing positive for Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide 2 (GHRP-2).

This is the second time in Wright’s career that he has been suspended by Major League Baseball. In December of 2017, Wright was arrested for domestic abuse against his wife in their Tennessee home. As a result of this, the knuckleballer served a 15-game suspension for violation of the league’s domestic violence policy during the 2018 season.

In 2018, before undergoing arthroscopic and debridement surgery this offseason, Wright made 20 pitching appearances and posted a solid 2.68 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 53 2/3 innings. The six-year veteran starting pitcher was an American League All-Star in 2016 for the Red Sox.

“Obviously disappointed,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said in an interview regarding the suspension. “It’s something that we didn’t expect. We’ll adjust.”

The Boston Red Sox issued a statement regarding the suspension that stated the following:

“The Boston Red Sox fully support Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and its efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from the game. While we are disappointed by the news of this violation, we will look to provide the appropriate support to Steven at this time. Going forward, the club will not comment further on the matter.”

In response to the suspension, Wright also issued a statement:

“I was notified by MLB that I failed a test under the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program during this past offseason. Although I do not dispute the validity of the test, I was shocked as I have never intentionally ingested anything for performance-enhancing purposes. I have fully cooperated with MLB and will continue to try and identify the source of the result.”

Once again, another athlete that is busted with performance enhancing substances and rather than responding with the truth, decides to cover it up with denial, blame-shifting, and playing dumb.

“It is what it is, and I’ve just got to move on from it,” Wright said. “That’s what’s frustrating about it. I worked my butt off this offseason since getting the surgery. I feel like I’m in a good spot. From an offseason drug test, this comes up. I’ve been dealing with it.”

Let’s face it, Wright is a Major League Baseball player, he goes through extensive training physically and micromanaging diet-wise to be in top shape for the 162 game season. No one is buying the whole “I don’t know how PEDs got in my system,” excuse it is a cowardly response that only makes things worse. Every Major Leaguer is fully aware of the repercussions and strict rules in place for those caught using an illegal substance, making this cop-out of an explanation cliche, cowardly, and plain dumb.

“We couldn’t figure out how this substance got into my body,” he said. “But at the end of the day, it’s my responsibility. It falls on me.”

We know you did it, just admit it for goodness sakes.

Wright’s reputation is not exactly in the best spot right now after a Domestic Violence suspension and a PED suspension all in the last two years. Wright will now be ineligible for Postseason play with the Red Sox and with their bullpen in shambles with the loss of Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel, this is yet another blow to the former champions that was completely unnecessary and a selfish act of greed that will cost the team down the stretch.