Mets’ Mejia Suffers MLB’s 1st PED-Related Lifetime Ban

Big news coming out of Major League Baseball last night:

For the third time in 12 months, it was reported that New York Mets' reliever Jenry Mejia tested positive for the performance enhancing substance known as Boldenone. 

That third positive test landed Mejia the dubious honor of being the first player ever handed a perminent suspension by the league, due to PED use.

A report from ESPN Mets insider Adam Rubin lays out all the specifics in the repeated offenses committed by the former New York closer.

Mejia, 26, was first suspended 80 games, the penalty for a first time offender, in April when he tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol. After serving the 80 games, the right-hander returned to the mound and pitched in seven games for the NL Champs. It was then that he was hit with a second suspension, this time 162 games, for another failed test that showed he had used both stanozolol and boldenone.

That leads us to yesterday, when it was again made public that Mejia had failed a third test and would be receiving the lifetime ban.

Mejia, who was tendered a contract by the Mets who believed he would be eligible to return in late July after serving the remaining 99 games on his second suspension, does have the ability to appeal the perminent ban.

In order to appeal Mejia would need to apply to commissioner Rob Manfred for reinstatement in one year. if he were to be reinstated, he would have to sit out of the game for two additional years, however.

In a statement in his native Spanish language, Mejia offered up an initial thought to Dominican sports journalist Hecotr Gomez:

"It is not like they say. I am sure that I did not use anything."

Mejia could try to play in another professional league, somewhere around the world. Other leagues can decide to uphold MLB's suspension themselves, but it would be up to each league to determine whether or not Majia would be allowed to play.

As for the Mets, they were dissapointed to hear that one of the former key cogs in the pen is out of the game, though they stood by the league's decision.

"We were deeply disappointed to hear that Jenrry has again violated Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," the Mets said Friday in a statement. "We fully support MLB's policy toward eliminating performance enhancing substances from the sport. As per the Joint Drug Program, we will have no further comment on this suspension."