On Friday afternoon, the office of Major League Baseball (MLB) revealed that three players were suspended for coming out positive in the anti-doping tests that the league performs routinely, in the case of: Bernie Martínez (Seattle Marines), the Dominican Luis Baez (Seattle Mariners) and the Venezuelan Sonny Vargas (San Francisco Giants); all pitchers.
The report and suspensions were as follows:
- Bernie Martínez, tested positive for LGD-4033, a selective androgen receptor modulator, according to reports from the league’s drug department. The right-hander will face a 80-game suspension in the 2022 season.
- Luis Baez and Sonny Vargas, who participate in the Arizona League at the Rookie level, gave positive for stanozolol, a synthetic steroid derived from testosterone that enhances the performance of athletes. Ambos will face a 60-game suspension officials of his league, according to the report given.
Until the last round of exams, 17 players have come out positive in the anti-doping of the Minor League system in just two months of 2022, a worrying situation for the authorities because it means that these substances are within easy reach of their prospects. Management will take more specialized measures to monitor these events.
On the other hand, the players of Big leagues, who are also frequently tested with anti-doping, have not been included in the tests for two months due to the work stoppage that has been facing since December 2, 2021. The tests will be carried out again once the new Collective agreement be signed and become effective with the resumption of MLB activities. Seventh Entry.
