MLB Drug Testing: Why Players Should Fear Testing Positive for PEDs

The MLB drug testing program is often touted for its effectiveness. However, there is a flaw in the policy that should have players living in fear of a positive test.

It seems that every time a player is nabbed for testing positive for a banned substance, you hear someone praise the MLB drug testing program for its effectiveness. On the other side, too often do we hear players suggest that they don’t know how the substance got in their bodies.

Take the latest example, Steven Wright, who was suspended 80-games on Wednesday for testing positive for a banned substance. Immediately after it was reported, Wright released a statement saying, “We couldn’t figure out how this substance got into my body…”

I will admit that at times that’s just a lame excuse.

In Wright’s case, for example, the substance he tested positive for, growth-hormone-releasing peptide-2 (GHRP-2), is a synthetic peptide which is “used in combination with anabolic steroids to maintain muscle gains.”

More from Call to the Pen

• Philadelphia Phillies, ready for a stretch run, bomb St. Louis Cardinals
• Philadelphia Phillies: The 4 players on the franchise’s Mount Rushmore
• Boston Red Sox fans should be upset over Mookie Betts’ comment
• Analyzing the Boston Red Sox trade for Dave Henderson and Spike Owen
• 2023 MLB postseason likely to have a strange look without Yankees, Red Sox, Cardinals

In this case, the MLB drug testing program was effective and Steven Wright deserves his punishment.

However, there is a flaw in MLB’s drug policy that should concern players, and there could come a time when a player could test positive for a substance they unknowingly ingested which causes them to test positive for PEDs. I’m talking about a substance called “insulin-like growth factor-1” (IGF-1).

Look down on page 11 of MLB’s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and you’ll see it listed in the prohibited substances list.

Not sure what it is?

Well, IGF-1 is a hormone that all humans produce.  It is made when the pituitary gland produces growth hormone (GH). The GH is then delivered to the liver where it is transformed into IGF-1. It also naturally occurs in products we ingest almost daily, like milk, meat, and plenty more.

Take an old feel-good story for example that involves Justin Verlander being charged an extra $1M for being a “Dodger killer”.

On the surface, this story is harmless. However, if we were to follow the rules as stated in the MLB drug testing program, technically Justin Verlander may have incriminated himself by posting this receipt.

You see, the first item on the receipt is a latte with skim milk. Milk, as we now know, contains a banned substance – IGF-1.

There are more examples of players unknowingly incriminating themselves. Some are more blatant than others, like Bryce Harper’s sponsorship deal with Gatorade.

The point is that comprehensive drug policies are good for organized sports. However, it should be thoroughly vetted and all parties need to be aware of what the substances are and how to avoid ingesting them.

As for IGF-1, it simply should not be banned, especially in its natural form.