The Softbank Hawks will not put forward a request to have right-hander Rick Guttormson's suspension reduced after he tested positive for a banned substance, the Pacific League club said Monday. Guttormson was suspended for 20 days from last Friday after a post-game doping test by Nippon Professional Baseball on July 13 found that he had taken Finasteride, which is not performance-enhancing but is banned because it can be used as a masking agent for other illegal drugs. Softbank said it was a failing on the club's part, not the player's, and had indicated it would ask for the suspension to be reduced. The 30-year-old from the United States has a 5-6 record with a 3.37 ERA in 18 starts in his third season in Japan.
