Detroit Tigers: Andrew Romine Tested for PED Use & That’s Okay

The Detroit Tigers have had plenty of surprises from Andrew Romine and his new baseball swing.

But, the Detroit Tigers got the biggest surprises today when the MLB requested Romine’s blood right after he finished hitting his first career grand slam against the Minnesota Twins.

While the MLB claims it was random, the timing of the test didn’t seem to be.

According to Evan Woodbery with MLive, Romine confirmed that he was tested:

Rules about Drug Tests

The MLB clearly states in the rules about both urine and blood testing. In the rules, it looks like urine tests are more common. But, this rule (3.A.3.b) about collecting blood is only to look for hGH:

"“All in-season blood specimen collections will be collected post-game from the non-dominant arms of Players (unless a Player requests otherwise), and will be tested for the presence of hGH only.”"

You can read the entire rulebook about drug testing policies here. It’s actually an interesting read. The MLB does have rules established for “reasonable cause” testing, but the causes are subjective. The rule (3.C.1.a) says:

"“In the event that either Party has information that gives it reasonable cause to believe that a Player has, in the previous 12- month period, engaged in the use, possession, sale or distribution of a Performance Enhancing Substance (including hGH), Stimulant or DHEA, the Party shall provide the other Party, either orally or in writing, with a description of its information (“Reasonable Cause Notification”), and the Player will be subject to an immediate urine and/or blood specimen collection, or a program of testing, as determined by the IPA, to commence no later than 48 hours after the Reasonable Cause Notification was provided.”"

In a nutshell, the rule shows that players can be tested because someone suspects that they have been involved somehow with PEDs. The suspicion could be due to someone informing the MLB that there is reason to believe a player is using them. Could this have been the case with Romine and the MLB? Most likely not, because Romine would have had to receive in writing the reason why he was being tested if someone accused him of using hGH or another prohibited substance.

Drug Testing Keeps the Game Clean

While the timing is suspicious, it is actually a good thing that Romine was tested today. It is a good thing that the MLB is serious about maintaining a drug-free league. Yes, it is exciting to see players hit home runs, but it is good to know that they are doing it on their own strength and power.

Hopefully, Romine will have a negative result on his drug test. But, if he does test positive, then he would deserve to be punished. As the leading hitter on the team, he is creating all kinds of buzz for his timely and powerful hits. With 11 at-bats and 6 hits, Romine is cruising through the bases and making the power-hitters in the middle look not-so-powerful. Romine’s slash is currently .545/.545/1.091 with an OPS of 1.636.

Romine’s Latest Numbers

The most shocking thing about Romine’s six hits is that four of them are for extra bases. Along with the grand slam today, he has three doubles. He has had three starts and he has had at least two hits in each start.

With this latest home run, Romine not only set his own personal record, but he also set a new Tigers record. Take a look at this Tweet from the Detroit Tigers PR:

Compare this to the early spring stats of Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. In 28 at-bats, Cabrera has 3 hits – all singles. Martinez has had 26 at-bats with 6 hits – all singles. But, Martinez has three RBIs to his name; Miggy has none.

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The Buzz is Good for the Tigers

As long as Romine receives negative scores on his latest blood test, there is no way that Brad Ausmus should take him out of the lineup. In fact, Ausmus might want to consider moving him up in the lineup, so he can earn a few more RBIs. But, if Romine tests positively, this amazing run could turn out to be one of the more disappointing moments in recent Tigers’ history.

Next: Predicting an All-Star season for Andrew Romine

The buzz about Romine is creating so much excitement with the fan base. The Tigers weren’t expected to be at the top of the MLB this year. But with the starting pitching getting the job done and unexpected hitters hitting unexpectedly, the season is becoming one to watch.