MLB announced yesterday that four minor league players (three pitchers and an outfielder) have been suspended following their violations of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
One of those four players was Minnesota Twins Minor League right-handed pitcher Hudson Boyd. Boyd has received a 50-game suspension without pay following a second positive test for a drug of abuse in violation of the Program. The suspension of Boyd, who is currently on the roster of the Single-A Cedar Rapids Kernels of the Midwest League, will be effective at the start of the 2015 Midwest League season.
Last spring Boyd did not hide the fact that he did not think he should have to go back and repeat Cedar Rapids but that is exactly where the Twins organization sent him. Not only did the Twins send him to Cedar Rapids, they decided to turn him into a relief pitcher versus a starter. Boyd has also battled weight issues since he has been with the Minnesota Twins. This is not the first time that the word “suspended” and Hudson Boyd have been used in the same sentence. The now 22 year-old Boyd was also suspended by the Twins organization this past July for an unknown number of games for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
Boyd a Ft. Myers native was drafted by the Twins out of Bishop Verot High School as a first round supplemental pick (for the loss of free agent Jesse Crain) and 55th overall in 2011. Boyd’s signing bonus was reported to be $1 million.
It appears that Hudson Boyd’s baseball career is quickly spiraling out of control, hopefully for him and the Minnesota Twins he can get back on track in the near future but now “his row to hoe” has become that much tougher.
This is a real disappointment. Becoming a big draft bust in a hurry. Hope he gets his act together and turns it around.