MLB releases annual report on PED testing

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association released the 2018 public report on MLB's Joint Drug Treatment and Program from independent program administrator Thomas M. Martin, Ph.D., on Friday.
This year saw the lowest number of therapeutic-use exemptions since the annual report was implemented in 2008. There were 102 TUEs granted -- 8.5 percent of 40-man roster players. The number of TUEs has decreased in each of the last four years.
Of the exemptions granted, 101 were for attention deficit disorder and one for hypertension. The 101 ADD exemptions, comprising 8.4 percent of 40-man roster players, also represented the lowest total since the IPA report began. The ADD exemption total has decreased every year since 2013.
Per the terms of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, a public report from the IPA is issued every year. As agreed by the Commissioner's Office and the Players Association, it is specific to players on MLB clubs' 40-man rosters. This year's report covers the period from the beginning of the 2017-18 offseason through the end of the 2018 postseason.
In 2018, there were 11,526 drug tests conducted across MLB. Of that total, 9,282 were urine samples to test for performance-enhancing substances, stimulants, DHEA, diuretics and masking agents. The remaining 2,244 were blood samples collected to test for human growth hormone.
There were 11 adverse analytical findings reported from the drug testing, which resulted in discipline. Eight were for performance-enhancing substances, two for the diuretic furosemide and one for the stimulant amphetamine. The performance-enhancing substances found were boldenone (two cases), DHCMT (two cases), clostebol, EPO, ipamorelin and stanozolol.