Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that they have suspended right-handed pitcher Matt Harvey for 60 games for distributing a prohibited drug of abuse, which is a violation of MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Harvey’s suspension is retroactive to April 29.
The punishment comes after Harvey testified during the trial of former Angels communications director Eric Kay regarding the drug overdose death of Tyler Skaggs in February. During testimony, Harvey discussed his and Skaggs’s drug use, and admitted that he supplied Skaggs with opioids while the two were teammates with the Angels in 2019. Kay was later found guilty on two counts of drug distribution resulting in death and drug conspiracy.
Harvey played for the Mets early in his career, finishing fourth in National League Cy Young Award voting at 24-years-old in 2013. After undergoing Tommy John surgery he helped bring tne Mets into the World Series in 2015. Harvey has also played with the Royals and Orioles, and signed with Baltimore in April on a minor league contract. He last pitched for the Orioles in 2021, finishing that season with a 6.27 ERA over 28 starts. Harvey has been throwing at the Orioles’ minor league complex in Sarasota, Fla, and while he can continue to work out at the complex, he is not allowed to appear in any affiliate games.
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