Big leagues and the players union said none of the 1,027 samples taken from players during the 2022 season for growth hormone tests came back positive. This is the first time that both organizations have recognized the resumption of these tests.
Human growth hormone (HGH) testing was suspended in 2021 by the pandemic of COVID-19. Testing was also halted during the 99-day lockout that ended in mid-March, and there were supply chain issues due to the COVID-19 and extra caution in testing due to coronavirus protocols.
The annual public report is issued by Thomas M. Martin, independent administrator of the Joint Drug Prevention Program of Big leagues. In an announcement accompanying Thursday’s report, MLB and the union indicated that test processing will move from the INRS Laboratory in Quebec, Canada, to the UCLA Laboratory in California.
For HGH tests, Big leagues it relies on dried blood tests, a change agreed upon during negotiations last winter. Far fewer samples were taken in 2022 compared to 2019, when 2,287 samples were collected—none positive.
Other than HGH testing, 9,011 urine samples were collected in the year ending the 2022 World Series, up from 8,436 the year before, but fewer than the 9,332 taken in 2019. And therapeutic use exemptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder fell for the ninth consecutive year, to just 72 in 2022.
Usually, Big leagues imposed six suspensions in 2022 for the use of performance-enhancing substances: Three for the steroid boldenone (outfielder and first baseman Danny Santana, pitcher Richard Rodríguez and infielder José Rondón, all free agents, for 80 games each) ; one for clomiphene (Milwaukee catcher Pedro Severino, 80 games), the anabolic steroid clostebol (San Diego shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. for 80 games) and stanozolol (Milwaukee pitcher JC Mejía for 80 games).
An additional positive test was recorded for the banned stimulant clobenzorex. A first positive test for a prohibited stimulant results in a follow-up test without suspension.
