Red Sox’s Rick Porcello Doubles Down On 2016 Comments About PED Suspensions

Just because Rick Porcello’s teammate was suspended 80 games for a positive performance-enhancing drug test doesn’t mean he’s changing his stance on how Major League Baseball handles the bans.

Knuckleballer Steven Wright tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide 2 (GHRP-2) and will serve the suspension after losing his appeal. The Boston Red Sox pitcher took responsibility, saying it falls solely on him.

Even though Porcello and Wright play on the same team, Porcello isn’t backing down from his 2016 comments about how the league needs to have harsher penalties for players who fail a drug test.

“I’m all in favor for (stiffer penalties),” Porcello said in 2016, via MassLive. “Obviously what’s going on right now is not preventing guys from doing it. This year, there’s a guy (Jenrry Mejia) that literally tested positive three times. That’s obviously not effective. I’m all in favor for a much, much more severe punishment or a lifetime ban.”

And how does the right-hander feel now?

“It doesn’t change,” Porcello told MassLive. “I feel the same way that I felt in the past.”

He also provided a blunt “yes” when asked if Wright should address the team.

Wright will miss the first 80 games of the season and will not be eligible for the postseason roster if Boston makes it to the playoffs.