In the history of Major League Baseball, they haven’t caught a player who used a concoction of anabolic steroids and other drugs. The implementation of rigid steroid testing by the league also lessened the incidence of steroid use both in the minor and major league. A 50-game suspension is not the type of punishment any player wants. The league is imposing this tough punishment for steroid users to discourage them from using performance enhancing drugs.

But a report from the New York Times will put a major league player on baseball’s history. According to the NY Times, the league confirmed that a baseball player was given 50-game suspension for failing the anti-doping test of the league. However, this is not an ordinary failed test. The league said that they found 5 banned substances in the player’s system. Its five different substances!

Of course, you become interested on the identity of this player. If you are asking if he is one of the star players in baseball, he is not. Some baseball fans may not be even familiar with this left handed pitcher because of his short stint in the majors and last year he played in the minors. He is Dustin Richardson.

Richardson played for the Red Sox and Florida Marlins. But he only played for more or less 30 games in the majors. Last year, he was acquired by the Marlins and Atlanta Braves in the minors. The pitcher is now a free agent after the Braves released him this month.

5 Banned Substances, Including 3 Anabolic Steroids

According to the NY Times report, Richardson’s drug test result showed 3 different types of anabolic steroids, prescription drug letrozole and amphetamines. The anabolic steroids were methenelone, methandienone and trenbolone. Letrozole is a drug that counters the side effects of steroids while the source of amphetamines is not yet clear. It could be from a famous ADHD drug which is also a popular PED in baseball.

The league can allow players to take prescription medication provided they apply for therapeutic exemption. It was learned that Richardson did not apply any.

Anti-Doping Experts Stunned by the Result

Former chairman of WADA’s prohibited list and methods committee, Dr Gary Wadler, said that it was unusual that these steroids were found in a single test. Though he admits that most users stack steroids to get better results and use it in combination to maximize the benefits and minimize the side effects. “There are protocols from supposed gurus you can find by searching on the Internet. But there’s no real science behind any of it,” said Wadler. Sources from the league also said that the case of Richardson is unusual.

Don Catlin, an anti-doping scientist, was also stunned by this report. “I’ve never seen a case like this, and we’re talking about 30 years I’ve been doing this kind of work,” Catlin told Andrew Keh of the NY Times. He added that there were some cases of athletes who used up to 3 banned substances but Richardson’s case is new. Ingesting 3 different subclasses of drugs is not normal. With this kind of doping, the athlete is at greater risk because each type of steroid has its own side effects and it can increase the chance of adverse reaction of the drugs.

Richardson Hoping for another Chance

Since the left handed pitcher is a free agent now, it will be hard for him to find a new team especially that he will be sidelined for the first 50 games. Richardson avoided the media but her mother told the newspaper that his son already admitted his mistakes and is hoping that he will be able to comeback in the field. The steroid test was conducted last November and Dustin was informed of the test result two weeks ago.

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