White Sox Catcher Wellington Castillo Suspended For PED Use

CHICAGO, IL - Chicago White Sox catcher Wellington Castillo will serve an 80-game suspension after Major League Baseball punished him this week for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. Castillo, the 31-year-old starting catcher for the White Sox, tested positive for the drug Erythropoietin (EPO), MLB.com and others have reported. He and the team were notified Wednesday night of the suspension, which was officially announced Thursday morning.

"The positive test resulted from an extremely poor decision that I, and I alone, made," read part of a statement from Castillo."I take full responsibility for my conduct. I have let many people down, including my family, my teammates, the White Sox organization and its fans, and from my heart, I apologize.

"Following my suspension, I look forward to rejoining my teammates and doing whatever I can to help the White Sox win."

Castillo is in his first year with the White Sox after they signed him to a two-year, $15 million deal before the season. He's been in MLB since 2010 and spent his first six seasons with the Chicago Cubs.

The White Sox issued a statement regarding the suspension fully supporting MLB's policy on performance enhancing drugs. The team's full statement can be found below.

Photo: Chicago White Sox logo