BASEBALL/Dominican pitcher receives CPBL lifetime ban after failing drug test

Taichung, April 17 (CNA) Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League (CPBL) on Wednesday dished out a lifetime ban on Dominican pitcher Elniery Garcia after the import player failed a routine drugs test.

The league explained that Garcia received the penalty because it was not his first time making such an infraction. In 2017 he was penalized for doping while he was pitching in the United States for the Philadelphia Phillies' minor league team Reading Fightin Phils.

In April of that year, Garcia was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for PED Boldenone, a performance-enhancing steroid.

After playing for the Fubon Guardians at the end of the last season, the Dominican lefty signed with the CTBC Brothers for this year's season.

However, after the season took off, Garcia's name was nowhere to be found on the CTBC's major or minor league rosters.

According to the CPBL's charter, import players with a previous doping record can only serve in one of the league's teams after completing punishments issued by the player's previous team and league.

After serving the sentence, said player must then pass routine CPBL drug tests to play in the league. The CTBC Brothers therefore carried out the check before employing Garcia into its minor league team this season.

The CPBL said on Wednesday that a lab which works with the league found Garcia tested positive for S1. anabolic agents, which includes steroids, resulting in the Dominican player's lifetime ban from the Taiwan professional league.

The CTBC Brothers on Wednesday also announced that the company had terminated its contract with Garcia.

Additionally, the CTBC Brothers said it is in discussion with two foreign athletes regarding its import player plans, which will be publicized in the future.