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Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas contesting possible 80-game drug suspension, AP source says

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas is contesting a possible 80-game suspension by Major League Baseball following an alleged failed test for a performance-enhancing substance, a person familiar with the process told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the positive test had not been announced.

Under MLB’s drug agreement with the players’ association, the appeals process for an initial positive test for a performance-enhancing substance takes place before a public announcement of discipline.

A 25-year-old who made his major league debut in 2023, Rojas was dropped from the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic roster, team general manager Nelson Cruz told reporters Monday.

Rojas hit .224 with one homer, 18 RBIs and 12 stolen bases for the Phillies last season. He was demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Aug. 1 and didn’t play for Philadelphia during the remainder of the season. Rojas is 1 for 11 for the Phillies during spring training.

He has a .252 career average with six homers, 73 RBIs and 51 stolen bases over 250 games.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

NYPD says dozens rescued from human trafficking during World Cup

By WTOP Staff
▶ Watch Video: Inside look at security preparations for World Cup Forty-three people, including seven minors, were rescued from human traffickers during the World Cup matches in the New York City area, according to the New York City Police Department's Special Victims Unit.The rescue operations were carried out between June 11 and July 19 by specialized NYPD detectives who arrested 89 individuals."The surprise was really the outpouring of support behind the mission and the collaboration with all our partners," said Inspector Gary Marcus, commanding officer of the Special Victims Unit.Those rescued, largely the victims of sex trafficking, are now being supported with an array of social services for the victims, including food, housing and counseling.The 87 operations carried out during the World Cup have generated new leads, officials said, and law enforcement agencies are building more cases based on the investigations already underway."We have ongoing investigations now as a result of these operations," an NYPD official told CBS News.Major sporting events are known to law enforcement as hotbeds of human trafficking.Years in advance, the NYPD devoted significant resources to preparing for the World Cup. Eight matches were played at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium, including the final on Sunday."When we talk about the outreach and the prep we do, a large part of that involved visiting the known sex offenders, particularly the known human traffickers, in our registry," Marcus said. "Whether they're on parole or probation for human trafficking, we visited them to make sure they're compliant with the terms of their release, and secondly, to let them know that the NYPD is watching."The matches were held in multiple cities around the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Preparations to secure those games and prepare for crimes like human trafficking were coordinated between local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.Police departments in many locations that hosted World Cup matches have made arrests and rescues connected to human trafficking, including in Georgia, New England and Missouri. Nationally, there were more than 673 arrests on human-trafficking charges made during the World Cup, and 61 adults and 13 minors rescued, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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