Once again, we have another player testing positive for performance enhancing drugs. This time it’s Cincinnati Reds‘ pitcher Edinson Volquez. At this point, isn’t it just dumb to take any substance banned by MLB? Yeah, I think so too.
Now the thing that grinds my gears is that not only was Volquez stupid for taking performance enhancing drugs, but I think the MLB is stupid in it’s punishment as well. Let’s take a look at what’s going on here. Volquez went with the Manny fertility defense, saying that he received the drugs as a prescription in his attempt to start a family with his wife. (Gives a new meaning to performance enhancing huh?). That’s fine, but I don’t know that I 100% believe his defense. We have heard some pretty lame excuses come from the mouths of guilty players in the past. For instance, David Ortiz said that he only tested positive because of vitamins. Or Rashard Lewis using the very played out ‘I didn’t know’ excuse. At this point, players should know better.
I’m not just attacking Volquez though — I have my bone to pick with MLB too. Volquez is already out until at least mid-season recovering from an elbow injury. That’s right, he’ll serve the 50-game suspension while on the disabled list. Please tell me why, if baseball is so serious about cracking down on steroids, have they decided that he can serve his 50-game suspension while he’s doing his rehab? Volquez is already out, he won’t be playing most of those if any of those 50 games anyway, so how is that serving a suspension? I am dumbfounded by this. If the MLB was serious about suspending him, the suspension would start on the day he’s activated from the DL. The current arrangement is just plain stupid.
Sources:
Reds’ Volquez failed test for PEDs, gets 50-game suspension [Jon Heyman at SI]
