An Atlanta Braves prospect is in the news for testing positive for a banned substance. Here is the news via Baseball America:
Major League Baseball announced 50-game suspensions for Braves righthander Darrel Leiva and Phillies righthander Gabriel Bermudez after both of them tested positive for steroids.
Leiva, 17, tested positive for metabolites of both Stanozolol (commonly sold as Winstrol) and Nandrolone (commonly sold as Deca-Durabolin), both anabolic steroids. Leiva signed with the Braves out of Nicaragua last year in July for $120,000–Atlanta's sixth-highest international signing bonus in 2011–and was pitching in the Dominican Summer League. Leiva threw 87-89 mph when he signed but has increased his fastball to the low-90s, complementing it with a curveball. He throws strikes but had a 5.27 ERA in 13 2/3 innings over eight relief appearances with four walks and nine strikeouts this year.
Leiva's just a kid at 17, so hopefully he can put this behind him and can continue on his development path through the Braves system. One thing we always worry about is the possible spread of illicit drug use to other players. Hopefully this is just limited to him, and I suppose one of these types of suspensions every once in a while is good for keeping everyone in line.