Rangers minor-leaguer hit with steroids suspension

NEW YORK — A pitcher in the Rangers organization, Francisco Cruceta, has been given a 50-game suspension for violating minor league baseball’s substance abuse policy.

Cruceta’s positive test for steroids occurred in mid-April; he will be suspended without pay. The Rangers acquired Cruceta on waivers from Seattle shortly after the 2006 season ended.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels reacted with “disappointment” Wednesday.

“Obviously, we’ve been pretty clear how we feel about performance-enhancing drugs,” Daniels said. “There’s no place in the game for them.”

The test comes on a day when steroids were already a hot topic in the Rangers’ clubhouse. Published reports said Sen. George Mitchell’s investigation on baseball’s behalf is seeking medical records from Rangers players Sammy Sosa and Jerry Hairston Jr., as well as three former Rangers: Rafael Palmeiro, David Segui and Fernando Tatis.

“It’s completely unrelated,” Daniels said of Cruceta’s suspension and the Mitchell investigation. “And more to the point, Francisco failed a test. Sammy and Jerry’s names have been thrown out there amid speculation. It’s very different.”

The Rangers do not plan to release Cruceta because “MLB discourages duplicative discipline,” Daniels said.

Cruceta, 25, is 1-0 with a 4.82 ERA in six games, including five starts, for the RedHawks this season.