Mota to Appeal Suspension, Blames ‘Child Cough Syrup'

On Monday, Giants reliever Guillermo Mota got nailed with a 100-game suspension from MLB for a second positive test for performance-enhancing drugs.

According to Mota's agent Adam Katz, via Andrew Baggarly of CSNBayArea.com, that positive test was caused by "child cough syrup" and that the reliever planned to appeal the lengthy suspension.

"Players are responsible for what they put in their bodies. Guillermo understands that," Katz said. "A 100-game suspension for taking a children's cough medicine that contains trace amounts of a prohibited substance, which is what happened here, is severe and unfair and does not reflect the intention of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. We will appeal it."

Without sounding too much like a jerk, "children's cough syrup" kind of sounds like a "I got hacked" excuse for people that say stupid things on Twitter.

That being said, maybe kiddie cough syrup does have clenbuterol in it. I just don't see anything about it popping up on the old Google tubes, outside of Mota's suspension.

And Giants manager Bruce Bochy didn't sound particularly optimistic when asked about whether or not he thought he would see his relief pitcher on the roster any time soon.

“It is what it is and you move on,” Bochy said. “I really don’t have any other comment. We won’t have Mota for awhile.”

As Baggs points out, four of the Opening-Day relievers for the Giants aren't on the active roster right now: Mota, Brian Wilson, Jeremy Affeldt and Dan Otero are all missing because of injury, performance or performance-enhancing.

And that's a major concern for a team that needs its bullpen to remain one of the primary strengths for the Giants to keep winning.

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