You know how every once in a while you’ll read a headline on the internet, go “there’s no way that’s true,” and when you click on the story, your suspicion ends up being correct? This is not one of those times. Jeff Passan of ESPN brought word of an absolutely bizarre story, one that involves Major League Baseball’s notoriously strict anti-drug rules and those pills you see at gas stations.
Passan brings word that the league sent out a memo to players warning them that the over-the-counter sexual enhancement pills that you can purchase at gas stations could trigger suspensions for banned substances. Apparently, players using these are quite common around the sport, and they’ve led to guys being handed suspensions.
Via ESPN:
“We know from experience,” the league memo said, “that a number of these sexual or male enhancement products — which are sold online, at retail stores, and on the black market, both in the United States and internationally — contain anabolic steroids and other prohibited substances.
“For this reason,” the memo continued, “we strongly urge players against taking any sexual or male enhancement product, from any source.”
The memo — which was distributed to players in both the majors and the minors — encouraged players to make sure the substances they are taking for this are coming via a doctor and are NSF Certified for Sport, such as Viagra or Cialis. So far, Passan reports, at least a pair of players have been suspended after urine tests came up positive for banned substances found in these unregulated pills.
