Guillen, Gibbons receive 15-day drug suspensions

~ Cardinals' Ankiel avoids punishment due to "insufficient evidence."

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jose Guillen and Jay Gibbons were suspended Thursday for the first 15 days of next season for violating baseball's drug policy, an indication how the sport might treat any players named in the Mitchell steroids investigation.

Guillen and Gibbons were accused in media reports of receiving human growth hormone after January 2005, when it was banned by baseball.

Gary Matthews Jr., Rick Ankiel, Troy Glaus and Scott Schoeneweis also were linked to HGH, but baseball decided there was "insufficient evidence" to determine they committed a doping violation. They were accused of receiving performance-enhancing drugs before 2005.

Guillen will file an appeal through the players' union. Gibbons will not challenge his penalty.

The 15-day penalties match what a second offense would have drawn under 2003-04 rules.

Cleveland pitcher Paul Byrd also reportedly received HGH. He said he took it for a medical condition and did so under a doctor's supervision.

"Other open investigations should be completed shortly," MLB said in a statement.

Former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell's report is to be released by the end of the month.

The six players whose cases were resolved Thursday met with baseball officials after media reports that their names surfaced in a national drug investigation by the district attorney in Albany, N.Y.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported last month that Guillen bought human growth hormone, two types of testosterone and the steroids stanozolol and nandrolone between May 2002 and June 2005. The outfielder and the Kansas City Royals finalized their $36 million, three-year contract earlier Thursday.

Gibbons, a Baltimore outfielder, got six shipments of Genotropin (a brand name for synthetic human growth hormone), two shipments of testosterone and two shipments of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) between October 2003 and July 2005, SI.com said in September.

Ankiel, a St. Louis outfielder, admitted he used HGH in 2004. The New York Daily News reported he received eight shipments of prescription HGH that year.

Glaus, a Toronto third baseman, received multiple shipments of nandrolone and testosterone between September 2003 and May 2004, SI.com reported.

Matthews, a Los Angeles Angels outfielder, received Genotropin in August 2004, according to SI.com.

Schoeneweis, a reliever on the New York Mets, received six shipments of steroids in 2003 and 2004, ESPN.com reported.