Matt Harvey suspended 60 games for drug distribution

BALTIMORE -- The Commissioner’s Office announced on Tuesday that Orioles pitcher Matt Harvey has been suspended 60 games in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

Harvey’s suspension comes after he admitted that he provided drugs to late Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. That revelation came during the trial of Eric Kay, a former Angels employee who was convicted in February of giving Skaggs the oxycodone that led to his death. Kay is scheduled to be sentenced in June.

The start date of Harvey’s 60-game suspension is retroactive to April 29, and it is without pay.

“We support all aspects of MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and their ruling in this particular case,” Orioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said in a statement. “I am glad that Matt now has the opportunity to put this part of his past behind him and pursue another shot with our organization after serving his suspension."

Harvey finished second on the Orioles in 2021 with 127 2/3 innings pitched. His season ended on Sept. 9, when he was placed on the injured list with right knee inflammation. He re-signed with the Orioles in April 2022 on a Minor League contract and had been working out at their Minor League complex in Sarasota, Fla. Harvey will be eligible to join the big league team later this season.