Jhonny Peralta.jpg

Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland embraces shortstop Jhonny Peralta following the game Sunday afternoon at Comerica Park.

(AP Photo)

Jhonny Peralta might have played his final game as a member of the Detroit Tigers.

Peralta has accepted a 50-game suspension in relation to the Biogenesis scandal that has cast a shadow over the 2013 season since Opening Day, Major League Baseball announced at about 3 p.m. Monday afternoon.

Peralta is eligible to return to play for the Tigers for their final three-game series of the season -- at Miami -- as well as the postseason, but questions remain about whether the Tigers will want him back.

At that point, Jose Iglesias will be settled into a regular role at shortstop. Peralta will have almost two months of rust on him and just three potential games in the majors to prepare for a potential postseason run.

Twelve players accepted suspensions. The one holdout is New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, who will appeal, according to multiple reports. Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun

.

The suspension will cost Peralta more than $1.85 million of the $6 million he was signed for this season.

Peralta could have chosen to appeal his suspension, which might have delayed the suspension until next season. But Major League Baseball appears to be playing hardball with the latest PED controversy and was reportedly offering 50-game suspensions for those who agreed to accept the punishment or harsher penalties for those who did not agree. Basically, baseball was telling players to take their medicine now or appeal and take an even harsher penalty in front of an arbitrator.

Peralta's name first became publicly connected to Biogenesis

said his name had been found in the records of Tony Bosch, the director of the now-defunct anti-aging clinic. The story said that while Peralta's name was in the records, "Peralta does not appear to be directly tied to PEDs in the records."

Peralta denied having used performance-enhancing drugs last winter in a statement issued through his attorney.

"I have never used performance-enhancing drugs. Period," the statement read. "Anybody who says otherwise is lying."

Peralta

shortly after the Sports Illustrated story and maintained his silence throughout spring training and the majority of the season.

"I don't have any comment for that right now," Peralta said June 4, after news broke that Major League Baseball would seek to suspend about 20 players linked to Biogenesis. "I'm playing baseball right now, and that's my focus, to play right now. … I don't really try to pay attention to what they say right now. I try to play this game."



Tigers manager Jim Leyland has avoided commenting on the topic as well.



"I'm aware of what you're aware of," Leyland said July 10 after news broke of another development in the story. "I don't know anything about that. I'm not getting into that. That's not for managers to discuss, in my opinion. I'm not going to discuss that. That's a lot higher up than me."



As the trade deadline approached and news spread that Major League Baseball would hand down penalties in late July, the Tigers traded for Iglesias. With Peralta set to become a free agent after this season, the Tigers were expected to seek a solution at shortstop during the offseason, but the possibility that Peralta would be suspended clearly played a role in the timing of the trade.



Peralta didn't have much to say on the topic, but he did speak publicly for the first time about the Biogenesis scandal the day after the trade for Iglesias.



"It's going to be disappointing but there's nothing that I can do," he said when asked if he would be disappointed if his season came to an early end. "I try to do the best I can do and try to help everybody here."

Peralta has hit .276 with 53 home runs and 241 RBIs in 457 games spanning four seasons with the Tigers. Detroit acquired Peralta in trade with the Cleveland Indians just prior to the trade deadline in 2010 for minor-league pitcher Giovanni Soto.



Soto remains in the Indians organization and reached the Triple-A level for the first time in his career this season. Soto is 0-1 with a 5.19 ERA in nine appearances for Triple-A Columbus. He was placed on the disabled list with a lower back strain on May 25 and has not pitched since. Soto is 23-22 with a 3.14 ERA in five seasons in the minors.

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