After a Winter Meetings marked by big time free agent signings, things took a turn back toward baseball’s not so distant past on Saturday evening. According to reports by multiple outlets, including ESPN.com’s Outside the Lines, Milwaukee Brewers OF Ryan Braun, the 2011 NL MVP, has tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. If the initial test is upheld, the slugger will be suspended for the first 50 games of the regular season under MLB’s steroid policy.
According to the report by ESPN, the positive test was triggered by an abnormal ratio of testosterone and epitestosterone, which normally coexist at a 1:1 ratio inside the human body. Anything about a 4:1 ratio triggers a positive test, and according to the report, Braun’s did, but it did not reveal by how much.
In addition, MLB sent the sample to the World Anti-Doping Agency lab in Montreal to confirm their findings, and the lab found that the testosterone was not generated by Braun’s body.
The test results have not been made public yet by MLB because Braun is appealing the test through an arbitrator. A positive test has never been appealed successfully since the league undertook the new testing procedures in recent years, so precedent does not favor the Brewers’ star in this instance.
Braun has denied that he knowingly took any PED’s, and his spokesman did issue a statement in response to reports:
“There are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan’s complete innocence and demonstrate there was absolutely no intentional violation of the program. While Ryan has impeccable character and no previous history, unfortunately, because of the process we have to maintain confidentiality and are not able to discuss it any further, but we are confident he will ultimately be exonerated.”
Braun hit 33 home runs and drove in 111 RBI for the Brewers a season ago, leading them to their first division title since 1982.