Sosa has ban reduced

Sosa claims he used the dodgy bat by mistake

Sammy Sosa has had his ban for using a corked bat reduced from eight games to seven on appeal.

Sosa was caught when his bat shattered during the game against Tampa Bay on 3 June.

He insisted that he only used the bat for practice and had picked it up by accident.

MLB then ran tests on 76 bats taken from Sosa's locker and five more of his on display at the Hall of Fame, but found no foreign substances.

"I am convinced of the sincerity of Sosa's explanation and his contrition," said Bob DuPuy, baseball's chief operating officer.

"In my opinion, his candour and the promptness of his apology on the night of 3 June were exemplary.

"However, at the end of the day, each player must be accountable for his own equipment complying with the rules, whether the violation is deliberate or inadvertent."

Sosa had earlier said he would accept whatever punishment was handed down to him and said it had been a "tough week".

Sosa has hit 60 or more homers in a single season three times, but has struggled this season after being hit by a pitch earlier in the year and then suffering a toe injury.