The number of failed drug tests in Major League Baseball dropped over 50% last season, MLB and the players union said in its annual drug test report released on Friday.
There were 10,237 tests of players on 40-man major league rosters performed under the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program on players from the beginning of the 2016-17 offseason to the end of last postseason that resulted in seven failed drug tests, down from 15 the previous year.
Of those seven, five were for PED's and two for stimulants.
The five positive tests for performance-enhancing drugs that resulted in 80-game suspensions were by Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Starling Marte (Nandrolone), Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Elniery Garcia and Houston Astros pitcher David Paulino (both Boldenone), Cleveland Indians pitcher Joseph Colon (SARM LGD-4022) and San Francisco Giants pitcher Joan Gregorio (Stanozolol).
MLB also granted 106 medical exemptions for attention deficit disorder, enabling players to take medications such as Adderall that are on the banned substances list due to its effectiveness as a stimulant. That's roughly 8% of major leaguers (based on 40-man rosters subject to the MLB testing program).
The report was verified by program administrator Jeffrey M. Anderson, M.D., who served in this role since 2012 until his unexpected passing in September 2017. MLB appointed Thomas M. Martin, Ph.D to succeed Anderson.
