Former Robinson and current Yankees pitcher Evarts suspended for PEDs

Posted Aug 5, 2011 by Eddie Daniels

Updated Aug 5, 2011 at 05:51 PM

Steven Evarts, a former Robinson High baseball standout and current New York Yankees minor league pitcher was suspended 50 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for metabolites of Nandrolone, according to the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball.

The substance violates the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Evarts was recently assigned to the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate, the Charleston RiverDogs. In seven games for the RiverDogs, Evarts was 1-5 with a 5.65 ERA. He struck out 27 batters, while allowing 23 earned runs.

The suspension will take effect immediately.

Evarts, 23, has had a slippery past in relation to his baseball career.

Drafted in the first round of the 2006 MLB draft by the Atlanta Braves, Evarts was arrested in December of that year on charges of criminal mischief after damaging a vehicle. He pitched three years for the Braves’ minor-league affiliates and went 8-2 in that span.

In 2008, Evarts was arrested for a second time. While in Miami, he was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia and marijuana. Later that year, his baseball season was cut short after he underwent Tommy John surgery on his left, pitching elbow.

The Braves released him later that year.

Evarts remained inactive baseball-wise, but ran askew of the law four additional times. The charges ranged from possession of drug paraphernalia to resisting an officer without violence. In all, Evarts has been taken into custody six times, five times in Hillsborough County.

Evarts signed a minor league deal with the Yankees earlier this year and was in the midst of his first assignment with the club before the suspension.