Sammy Sosa has been suspended for eight games after he was discovered using an illegal bat - but he plans to appeal.

The Chicago Cubs slugger was thrown out of a game against Tampa Bay on Tuesday for using a cork-filled bat.

Sosa, from the Dominican Republic, claimed the incident was a one-time, simple mistake caused by grabbing the wrong bat.

The Cubs confirmed they would appeal against the ban - this would enable their big-hitting star to play in an eagerly-awaited series against the New York Yankees.

Sosa's misdemeanour came to light when the bat he used in the 3-2 win over the Devil Rays split in two, revealing cork inside.

He said after the game: "I use that bat for batting practice, not in the game.

"It is a mistake and I apologise to everyone, everyone who is embarrassed by this. I just picked the wrong bat heading to the plate."

Cork inside a wooden bat is against baseball rules and has resulted in several players being suspended in the past.

The suspension is just the latest blow for Sosa in a troubled season.

Despite the Cubs topping their division under new boss Dusty Baker, the 34-year-old has been plagued by injuries and poor form.

He reached 500 career home runs early in the season but has not hit one since 1 May and is batting just .285.

He is the only player in Major League history to have three 60-homer seasons - hitting 66 in 1998, 63 in 1999 and 64 in 2001.