Fifty game suspension for Philadelphia Phillies’ Minor League player Kevin Frandsen – MLB News
It seems that the Philadelphia Phillies’ Minor League player Kevin Frandsen tested positive during a recent drug screening.
Frandsen who plays at second base for Philadelphia’s Triple-A tested positive for the drug Ritalin. This drug is used to treat those people that suffer from ADHD. The use of Ritalin is not banned if the player gets permission from the League beforehand.
However, this was not the case for Frandsen, as he did not have permissions to use the substance.
It seems that Frandsen may have Attention Deficit Disorder or ADD and in that case he should be allowed to use Ritalin for therapeutic uses. However, the League rules are quite clear in that they mention that the use of the drug must be cleared in advance.
Frandsen played in the Major League for the San Francisco Giants from 2006-09, where he then left and played with the Los Angeles Angels in 2010. However, in 2011 he joined the Triple-a affiliate for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Outfielder Andres Torres believes that Fandsen was probably not aware of the drug being banned. "There's a process to get approved, and you have to wait. It depends, sometimes you wait a few days or a week," Torres said. "I feel bad for him because maybe
he didn't know."
Testing positive for any substance in the Major or Minor Leagues is not taken likely, as the suspension for 50 days is a very serious issue. A suspension of this length can literally ruin the career of a player due to them being out of the game for so long.
Also the negative stigma attached to any player that tests positive makes it very hard for them to find a team willing to take them in.
However, in the case of Frandsen there is a possibility that he may not have known that Ritalin was a banned substance and that he should have gotten clearance from the League beforehand.
It seems that the issue of drugs in the sport of baseball is just not going away no matter how hard the League is trying to clamp down on the issue. Many experts feel that until the League completely revamps their entire approach to this issue can anything
be done. It has become a real let down for the fans and supporters of baseball to have to hear about suspensions and drug related issues creeping back into the sport.
It will be interesting to see how Frandsen deals with the 50 game suspension and how the Phillies manage to handle this serious issue. It seem the media will again start to question the policies of the League and use examples like this one to drive home
a point against drugs in the sport.
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