Suspended 50 Games: Brandon Brown, Former Mets Minor Leaguer, Tests Positive For Stanozolol

AP News reported today that free agent third baseman Brandon Brown, formerly of the New York Mets, has been suspended for 50 games for violating MLB's drug ban. Brown tested positive for metabolites of Stanozolol, a synthetic anabolic steroid.

The 25-year-old third baseman will reportedly start the ban when he signs with another organization. He was released by the Mets on March 30 after hitting .222 with five home runs and 34 runs batted last season as part of the Savannah Sand Gnats, who play in the Class A South Atlantic League. Brandon Brown is one of 18 players who have been suspended as a consequence of minor league baseball's drug program.

The MLB considers Stanozolol a steroid and includes it on its list of banned substances. Any player who tests positive for the first time is slapped with an automatic 50 game suspension; a second positive test result bears a 150 game punishment, while a third means a lifetime ban from major league baseball. Players do not collect pay during their suspension time and can be replaced on the active roster by another player in the meantime.

Stanozolol is a man-made steroid typically used legally when treating hereditary angioedema, a condition which causes episodes of swelling in an individual's face, extremities, genitals, bowel walls, and throat. The steroid can decrease the frequency and severity of these episodes. It also is sometimes used to treat anemia.

Originally developed by Winthrop Laboratories in 1962, the compound is one of the most common steroids sold on the black market for its reputed virtues during the "cutting cycle", or the stage in the training process in which athletes attempt to lose fat while retaining muscle.

Rafael Palmeiro, the All-Star first baseman and left fielder, was suspended for 10 games in 2005 for using Stanozolol, although he disputes MLB's claim that he was in fact using it to enhance his performance on the field. Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are among other MLB players reputed to have used the substance.

The drug is detectable by blood screens, which are done regularly for baseball players, according to the Examiner. Stanozolol has no known masking agent - when used, there is no known way to keep it from showing up in a screen.