St. Petersburg, FL – Tampa Bay Rays minor league shortstop Tim Beckham has been suspended 50 games for a second violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program for a drug of abuse.
"We are very disappointed by Tim's actions," said Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman. "Tim possesses great potential and he must rededicate himself in order to become the person and player we know he can be."
The office of the commissioner of baseball announced the suspension, effective immediately, on Tuesday.
"I regret that my poor judgment resulted in me letting my teammates and the Tampa Bay Rays organization down," Beckham said in a statement on Tuesday. "I take full responsibility for my actions and I will use this experience to refocus my commitment to baseball. I recognize that I am blessed to be able to play baseball for a living. I owe it to my teammates, my family and to myself to respect the game and the responsibilities that go with playing it as a professional. I am sorry."
Beckham, the first overall pick in the 2008 MLB Amateur Draft, is currently on the roster of the Triple-A Durham Bulls.
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