José Zerpa, Mariners prospect, suspended for doping
Venezuelan pitcher José Zerpa, a prospect for the Seattle Mariners, has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Stanozolol, a banned substance used to enhance physical performance.
The news was announced this Friday 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 playing with the Inland Empire 66ers, a Class A affiliate of Seattle in the California League.
The right-hander was having a good season as a reliever, with a 4-1 record and a 4.70 ERA in ten appearances before receiving the suspension.A Brake in His Career
The young pitcher signed with the Seattle organization in 2023 with a minor league contract that included a signing bonus of 10 thousand dollars.
This sanction represents a hard blow to his development in the minor leagues and delays his aspirations of reaching the Major Leagues.
Zerpa’s suspension joins the list of players sanctioned this year for violating Major League Baseball’s anti-doping policies, being the seventh player sanctioned in 2026 for cases related to steroids or prohibited substances.Other recent cases in MLB
Among the most notable sanctions of the year is that of 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 anti-doping rules.
Another recent case was that of free agent outfielder Max Kepler, who was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Epitrenbolone.
Major League Baseball has intensified its controls on banned substances in recent years, both in active players and minor league prospects, seeking to maintain the integrity and competitiveness of professional baseball.
