AL West Race: Bartolo Colon Suspended 50 Games

Really bad news for the Oakland Athletics today comes as good news for the Texas Rangers.

The second-place A’s lost starter Bartolo Colon on Wednesday after it was revealed that Colon tested positive for testosterone. Per Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, Colon will be suspended for 50 games--this includes the final 40 games of Oakland’s regular season schedule, and the first ten games of the postseason, should the A’s play 10 postseason games. If they don’t, the rest of the suspension will be served next season.

“I apologize to the fans, to my teammates and to the Oakland A’s,” Colon said in a statement today, released by the MLBPA, via the Dallas Morning News. “I accept responsibility for my actions and I will serve my suspension as required by the joint drug program.”

Texas currently leads Oakland by five games in the AL West standings, and the loss of Colon is certainly a firm blow to the A’s postseason hopes. Already a 10-game winner in 2012, Colon was 4-1 with a 1.57 ERA in what will very likely be the final five starts of his season.