Jenrry Mejia, Mets pitcher, suspended a full season for flunked steroids test

New York Mets relief pitcher Jenrry Mejia has been suspended for 162 games after testing positive for banned substances a second time, Major League Baseball said on Tuesday.

The length of the ban is automatic for a second positive test, and equals the longest suspension in baseball for doping, matching the penalty handed New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez in 2013.

Mejia’s suspension is effective immediately and is equivalent to an entire regular season. It came after the right-hander tested positive for steriods stanozolol and boldenone, MLB said.

Major League Baseball and the players’ association last year agreed to increase the penalty for a second positive steroid test to 162 games.

Mejia returned to the majors barely two weeks ago, and had pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings, after serving out a previous 80-game suspension for a performance-enhancing substance violation on April 11, 2015.

The 25-year-old from the Dominican Republic has played 113 major league games, all for the Mets, including seven this year. His career ERA is 3.68.

The Mets said they were “extremely disappointed” about the news.

“We fully support MLB’s policy toward eliminating performance-enhancing substances from the sport,” they said in a statement.

Mejia did not immediately comment on his latest suspension, but in April, he denied knowingly taking banned drugs.