2019 PED Suspension Rundown: Spring Training Edition

Opening Day is upon us, so it’s time to begin tracking MLB and MiLB PED suspensions once again. This initial rundown will take us up towards the end of Spring Training. Please note I only track suspensions for PEDs and stimulants, not so-called “drugs of abuse.” Information is courtesy of milb.com and spotrac.com.

MiLB Suspensions

1/25: Junior Harding, CIN P (Methylphenidate, 50 G)
1/25: Alex Schick, MIN P (Amphetamine, 50 G)
3/1: Luis De Avila, COL P (Boldenone, 72 G)

MLB Suspensions

1/16: Eric Skoglund, KC SP (Ostarine and Ligandrol, 80 G)
3/6: Steven Wright, BOS RP (HGH, 80 G, fined US$591,387.88)

You will note Wright’s PED suspension is over five times longer than the 15-game suspension he served in 2018 for personal conduct under the domestic violence policy!

3/12: Francis Martes, HOU RP (Clomiphene, 80 G)

Many lazy baseball writers only used information from the top Google search result for Clomiphene when reporting Martes’s suspension, mentioning its use in treating infertility in people with uteruses, so many pregnancy jokes ensued on social media. However, the reason athletes take Clomiphene (and why it is banned by MLB) is because it is an anti-estrogen. This means it is used to prevent the physical effects of steroid use caused by heightened estrogen levels, such as gynecomastia (growth of breast tissue in men).

Leaderboard

I will not be tracking suspensions by position this year, since it is clear that pitchers are the most frequent offenders.

BOS: 1
CIN: 1
COL: 1
HOU: 1
KC: 1
MIN: 1