Seattle Venezuelan prospect receives 80-game suspension for doping

NEW YORK. – Venezuelan pitcher José Zerpa, a prospect for the Seattle Mariners, was suspended this Friday for 80 games after testing positive for Stanozolol, a banned substance used to enhance physical performance. The sanction was announced by the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball under the minor leagues' drug prevention and anti-doping program. Zerpa, 21 years old and a native of Yaracuy state, was pitching with the Inland Empire 66ers, a Class A affiliate of Seattle in the California League. The right-hander was having a solid season as a reliever, with a 4-1 record and a 4.70 ERA in ten appearances before receiving the suspension.

Career halted in full development

The young pitcher signed with the Seattle organization in 2023 through a minor league contract that included a signing bonus of 10 thousand dollars. However, this sanction represents a hard blow to his development process within the minor league system and delays his aspirations of reaching the Major Leagues. Zerpa's suspension adds to a growing list of players punished this year for violating Major League Baseball's anti-doping policies, becoming the seventh player sanctioned in 2026 for cases related to steroids or prohibited substances.

Other recent cases in MLB

Among the most relevant sanctions of the year is that of the Atlanta Braves outfielder, Jurickson Profar, who was suspended for the entire season after testing positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites. The league considered the case especially serious because it was a repeat offense under the current anti-doping regulations. Another recent case was that of free agent outfielder Max Kepler, also sanctioned with 80 games after testing positive for Epitrenbolone. Major League Baseball has strengthened its controls on banned substances in recent years for both active players and minor league prospects, seeking to maintain the integrity and competitiveness of professional baseball.