What Did Manny Ramirez Test Positive for?

Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez was suspended 50 games Thursday after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Ramirez issued a statement saying that did not use steroids or a traditional performance-enhancing drug; rather, a physician prescribed medication banned under Major League Baseball’s drug policy “for a personal health issue.”

According to Yahoo’s Tim Brown and Steve Henson, an anonymous source close to Ramirez “said the substance is supposed to boost sex drive. It is not Viagra, but a substance that treats the cause rather providing a temporary boost in sexual performance.”

Two sources have told ESPN’s T.J. Quinn and Mark Fainaru-Wada that Ramirez tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, a women’s fertility drug. A separate source told ESPN that HCG is typically used by men after a steroid cycle to restart the body’s natural production of testosterone, which is diminished by steroid use.

“HCG restores their capacity to make testosterone,” writes ESPN. “The source said that some males may use HCG in lieu of steroids also. HCG by itself can provide a substantial boost in the body's own testosterone, and this may provide some performance-enhancement benefits.”

Ramirez will not appeal the suspension, which begins today.

Article originally published at findingDulcinea