New York, NY (SportsNetwork.com) - Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association announced improvements to their Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program Friday, including an increase in the number of games violators will be suspended.
A first-time performance-enhancing substance violation will now result in an unpaid 80-game suspension, increased from 50 games, while a second violation will carry an unpaid 162-game suspension, increased from 100 games. A third violation will still result in a permanent ban from MLB.
Players who are suspended for PEDs will also be barred from participating in the postseason, regardless of when the player's suspension ends, and will not be eligible for an automatic share of the player's pool provided to players on clubs who make the playoffs.
MORE TO FOLLOW.
[SportsNetwork.com]
