Braves' Andrew McKirahan suspended 80 games

Braves left-hander Andrew McKirahan has been suspended 80 games for a banned substance, according to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

McKirahan has had quite the offseason, finding himself on three different teams. The 25-year-old was a member of the Chicago Cubs when the offseason began, but was selected by the Marlins' in the 2014 Rule 5 Draft. The Marlins then chose to place him on waivers late in spring, and he was then claimed by the Braves.

The suspension is a blow to the Braves, who were enjoying the progress McKirahan was making at the big league level and were dealing with some minor bumps and bruises in the bullpen.

#Braves Hart said this is like a "double whammy" in that McKirahan was showing promise, and they've had so many other dings in bullpen

— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) April 20, 2015

In a short stint with the Braves, McKirahan has allowed two runs over 4 1/3 innings pitched.

As of now, it is unknown* what substance caused the positive test , but another Brave, Arodys Vizcaino, was suspended 80 games for Stanozolol . That substance has been the cause of a lot of controversy this offseason as four players, Ervin Santana, Jenrry Mejia, Vizcaino and David Rollins were all suspended for the use of that substance.

Being a Rule 5 pick forces the Braves to keep McKirahan on the 25-man roster or the Major League disabled list for the entire regular season. With the suspension, McKirahan can be moved to the disabled list without the threat of the Braves losing him back to the Cubs.

Update 1:

The positive test for McKirahan took place while he was a member of the Marlins not the Braves, but the test results only came back on Sunday.

A source familiar with the situation said McKirahan's positive test was conducted in March, before the #Braves claimed him off waivers

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 20, 2015

Ian Thomas has been pegged as the likely replacement in the bullpen for the Braves.

Ian Thomas, who is on the 40-man roster, seems to be the most likely replacement for McKirahan in Atlanta's bullpen. #Braves

— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) April 20, 2015

*Update 2:

Suspension of #Braves’ McKirahan official. Tested positive for Ipamorelin, a performance-enhancing substance. Eighty games.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) April 20, 2015