The Minnesota Twins have managed to stave off a challenge from the Cleveland Indians in staying atop the American League Central in the second half of the season, but they received some tough news on Saturday that could put a damper on their hopes in October.

Starting pitcher Michael Pineda was suspended for 60 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a banned diuretic.

Pineda was initially suspended for 80 games, but the suspension was reduced after an arbitrator ruled that the diuretic was not being used as a masking agent for performance-enhancing drugs.

After posting a 4.56 ERA in his first 17 starts before the All-Star break, Pineda had been one of Minnesota's best pitchers in the second half. The 30-year-old from the Dominican Republic had a 3.04 ERA in nine starts prior to his untimely suspension, and he ranked 27th in fWAR during that time span.

The suspension could hardly come at a worse time for Minnesota. Although Jake Odorizzi has been excellent as of late, Jose Berrios has had a run of poor performances. In his last five starts, Berrios has a 6.75 ERA and a 1.838 WHIP, and opponents have a .937 OPS against the youngster from Puerto Rico.

Minnesota has also dealt with injuries, as both Martin Perez and Kyle Gibson have had separate stints on the Injured List.

The Twins have extended their lead over the Indians to 6 1/2 games entering play on Sunday. But they hardly look like an imposing foe against the likes of the Houston Astros or New York Yankees given the current state of the rotation, especially with Pineda on the shelf for the remainder of the season.