[Joey Slugs]

Arizona's Angel Rocha faces 100-game suspension Major League Baseball suspended five minor league players for violating baseball’s Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment program, including the first two-time violator. Diamondbacks lefthander Angel Rocha, 21, was suspended for 100 games, essentially ending his season. Also suspended, for 50 games as first-time offenders, were Angels righthander Karl Gelinas; Mets righthander Jorge Reyes; Cardinals outfielder Yonathan Sivira; and Padres righthander Matt Varner. All five were suspended for using performance enhancing substances, according to a release by MLB. Rocha, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2002, was 14-24, 4.93 in 317 career minor league innings, only 87 of which have come in full-season ball. He made one start with Triple-A Tucson in 2004, his career highlight. Rocha was not on an Opening Day roster. Like Rocha, Reyes, 21, is from the Dominican Republic. He went 4-5, 5.20 last season, his first in the U.S., while playing for short-season Brooklyn. Reyes had opened the season with low Class A Hagerstown and was off to a good start for the Suns, throwing 11 innings in his first two starts and posting a 2.45 ERA. Sivira, 22, signed out of Venezuela and like Reyes had yet to play full-season ball prior to 2006. He hit .253-2-17 for short-season New Jersey last season. He started this season at low Class A Quad Cities and was off to a 2-for-10 start. Gelinas, a 22-year-old Canadian from Quebec, went 11-8, 3.81 last season at low Class A Cedar Rapids and walked just 20 in 151 innings. He was at high Class A Rancho Cucamonga in 2006, losing each of his first two starts while posting a 7.59 ERA. Varner, 24, was an 11th-round pick out of the University of Houston and had 34 saves last season at low Class A Fort Wayne. He was 0-1, 7.36 with three saves in four games at high Class A Lake Elsinore this season.

from BaseballAmerica.com