NEW YORK — The commissioner’s office handed down drug suspensions Monday to two minor league free agents, each testing positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid banned under baseball’s Joint Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program — though neither penalty will take effect until the players sign with a major league organization.
Free agent pitcher Julio Dilone received a 60-game suspension, while fellow free agent pitcher Luis Gomez was hit with an 80-game ban. Both violations involved stanozolol, a synthetic anabolic steroid commonly classified as a performance-enhancing drug. The differing suspension lengths suggest the two cases were not identical in circumstance, though the commissioner’s office provided no further detail distinguishing the violations.
The deferred-activation structure of both penalties means any club that signs either pitcher will do so with the suspension clock yet to begin — a material factor in any prospective contract negotiation.
Stanozolol is a Schedule III controlled substance under U.S. federal law and has been prohibited under professional baseball’s drug programs for more than two decades.
