Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco knew about his positive test for a banned substance a month before the Twins found out.
When speaking to reporters Monday, Polanco said he found out about a month ago, whereas Twins Chief Baseball Officer Derek Falvey wasn’t aware of the situation until Sunday.
Twins chief baseball officer Derek Falvey said they didn't find out about Polanco's positive test until he met with Molitor and Falvey yesterday to tell them.
— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) March 19, 2018
Why didn’t the Twins find out when Polanco did?
Because Polanco was appealing the process, and teams don’t find out about positive tests and suspensions until they are a done deal, Twins Senior Director of Communications Dustin Morse tells GoMN.
It seems odd that a team wouldn’t find out, but that’s how it’s legally set up in the Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Polanco tested positive for Stanozolol, a steroid that helps boost strength and speed without an athlete taking on much added weight. He’s out the first 80 games of the season.
He’ll be banned for an entire 162-game season if he violates the policy again. A third violation brings with it a lifetime ban from MLB.
