59% of Minor League PED Suspensions From Latin Summer Leagues

Late Weds., the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced that two Minor League players from the Detroit Tigers organization, pitchers Carlos Alvarado and Frank Penalver, were suspended after each tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Alvarado tested positive for a metabolite of Nandrolone, while Penalver tested positive for a metabolite of Boldenone. Both players are members of the organization’s Venezuelan Summer League team, and their suspensions became effective immediately. Alvarado and Penalver are part of 26 players from either the Venezuelan or Dominican Summer Leagues, now accounting for 59 percent of all players suspended under the minor league drug testing policy. By comparison, only 14 players had been suspended under the minor league drug testing policy at the same point in 2008. (See details on every player suspended at the major and minor league level for PEDs) Of the 26...