Ervin Santana made his first start of the season on July 17 against the Oakland Athletics, and he was able to shut out the Athletics over 7.2 innings, as the Minnesota Twins won 5-0. Yesterday against the Los Angeles Angels, Santana fired eight shutout innings, as the Twins were victorious 3-0. His return has been a tremendous shot in the arm for the Twins, and his presence could be the deciding factor in whether the Twins make the playoffs this season. If they do, however, Santana wouldn’t be eligible to pitch in the postseason.

Santana was handed an 80-game suspension prior to the 2015 MLB season for performance-enhancing drugs shortly after signing a four-year, $55 million contract with the Twins. With the new rules implemented concerning suspensions, Santana wouldn’t be allowed to pitch in the postseason due to being suspended during the season.

The Twins currently sit at 51-44 and are in the second American League Wild Card position. It’s a likely possibility that the the team will make the playoffs this season but then lose their ace for the Wild Card play-in game. Without Santana anchoring the front of the rotation in the postseason, the Twins’ chances of doing damage are greatly diminished.

I understand the premise of punishing a player for using PEDs, but isn’t that what the original suspension is for? This rule calls for Santana to be punished for the one offense twice, which seems like overkill. Santana served his 80 games, and he was suspended without pay. Does he really deserve to be forbidden from pitching in the playoffs, especially if he’s a big part of getting the Twins there? This new rule is ridiculous, and it should be abolished.

Jason Fletcher is a Senior Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @JasonFletcher25, “Like” him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google+.