Oakland Athletics pitcher Bartolo Colon has been suspended for 50 games, for testing positive for testosterone.
↵Colon has been spectacular for the A's, with a 10-9 record to go along with a 3.43 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. Colon has only walked 23 batters in 152 and 1/3 innings of work on the season.
↵As you may know, the A's are one of baseball's surprise stories this year, and are firmly in wild card contention -- and on the outskirts of contention in the AL West. Colon has arguably been Oakland's best pitcher this year, and has made a team-high 24 starts to date so far.
↵It's certainly not a dagger in Oakland's playoff hopes, but losing Colon for the duration of the season (unless Oakland plays deep into the playoffs) is certainly a blow to their playoff chances.
↵If Rangers fans were worried about Oakland catching them, which would have been an unfounded fear, they should breathe a little bit easier. The Angels, Rays, Tigers and Orioles all have to feel a little more confident today, too, as they battle with Oakland for the two wild card spots.
↵