Milwaukee Brewers RHP JC Mejia Suspended 80 Games For PEDs

Major League Baseball’s Commissioner’s office announced Tuesday afternoon that Milwaukee Brewers reliever JC Mejia has been suspended 80 for violating the League’s substance abuse policy.

JC Mejia tested positive for stanozolol, a type of steroid, which violates Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

JC Mejia is the second Brewers player to be suspended 80 games for PEDs this season, joining catcher Pedro Severino.

Mejia, 25, has appeared in two games for the Milwaukee Brewers, over 2.1 innings Mejia has surrendered six earned runs on five hits and five walks while registering just one strikeout. His 23.14 ERA and 12.01 xERA are not indicators of big success so far for Mejia.

The Milwaukee Brewers acquired Mejia last offseason in a trade with the Cleveland Guardians. Mejia was acquired in exchange for cash or a player to be named later. Two months ago, a player was named and catcher David Fry was sent to Cleveland to complete the trade.

JC Mejia is the second Brewer to receive an 80 game suspension this year after Pedro Severino tested positive for a banned substance right before the 2022 season began.

Mejia will begin serving his suspension immediately and in response to the suspension the Brewers have called up Trevor Kelley from the Nashville Sounds.

Trevor Kelley has made 14 appearances in the Majors with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2020 and with the Boston Red Sox in 2019. So far in 2022 with the Sounds, Kelley has a 0.69 ERA over 13 innings in 13 appearances. Kelley has pitched 17 strikeouts and just four walks.

Kelley was not initially on the 40 man roster, but with Mejia’s suspension, he vacates his 40 man spot for the time being so another move is not necessary. Even with the addition of Kelly and the proximal return of Andrew McCutchen from the Covid IL, the Brewers will still have one open 40 man roster spot.

This is a blow to the Brewers bullpen depth, which has already suffered injuries to Jake Cousins, Justin Topa, and most recently Jandel Gustave. Now J.C. Mejia is also sidelined. He wasn’t a crucial piece to the bullpen, but that’s one more arm that Milwaukee can’t count on down the stretch.