Mariners’ Korean prospect Choi Ji-man suspended 50 games for PED

April 18, 2014
Choi Ji-man

Choi Ji-man

(Yonhap) — South Korean minor league prospect Choi Ji-man, 23, was suspended for 50 games on Thursday after testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance, officials announced.

Major League Baseball (MLB) said Choi, a first baseman for the Seattle Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers, tested positive for methandienone, an anabolic steroid known to help increase protein synthesis and muscle strength.

Choi had been putting up nice numbers in the minors and was impressive during spring training this year.