Rules for Performance Enhancing Drugs in Major League Baseball
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Performance-enhancing drugs are a serious problem facing Major League Baseball. As such, the MLB and its players have agreed upon standards for the prevention of drug use in the league. Published within the document entitled Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, these rules regulate everything from exactly which substances are banned by the MLB to how testing for these substances should be conducted. - Major League Baseball and its players agreed upon a lengthy yet non-exhaustive list of banned performance-enhancing substances. These substances are covered by Schedule III of the Code of Federal Regulations. However, the rules also stipulate that the drugs contained within the list are not the only ones banned. The league reserves the right to punish players if they test positive for any anabolic steroid not on the list that is not legally available in the United States or for certain hormones or supplements judged to give an unfair boost to performance.
- In order to ensure that its players are not using performance-enhancing drugs, the MLB tests each player once a year during the beginning of spring training and once more on a random, unscheduled basis. While each player in the league is subject to at least one random test a year, a randomly selected pool of players may be selected to test again at random points during the year. Players can also be tested at the league's discretion if it has probable cause. All tests for performance-enhancing drugs are done via a scientifically-validated urine screening.
- Major League Baseball players who test positive for a performance-enhancing substance are subject to punishment under the agreed-upon drug testing rules. Upon testing positive, players are given a 50-game suspension and are required to consent to follow-up testing at least three more times over the next year. If a player tests positive a second time, he will be given a 100-game suspension and be required to undergo follow-up testing. Players testing positive a third time will receive a permanent ban from the league. However, players banned from the league can appeal their suspension at least one year after the third positive test and can be reinstated after serving a two year suspension at the league's discretion.
