New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said Alex Rodriguez will be tested for drugs more often in the wake of his 162-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs.
“Let me be clear about this: He’ll be tested exactly like every other player who has violated the program. The program requires more frequent testing for players who are coming back after a suspension,” Manfred told reporters Thursday at Charlotte Sports Park, where Rodriguez’s Yankees were playing the Tampa Bay Rays.
Players who have been penalized under baseball’s drug policy are subject to six unannounced urine tests and three unannounced blood tests every year.
Manfred has met with Rodriguez three times since his reinstatement after the 2014 World Series.
“Alex served a very long suspension. Once he served that time, baseball ought to welcome him back,” Manfred said. “And I think we’ve done a good job. The institution as a whole: teams, central baseball, everybody. He’s played well. Good for him.”
