Chicago White Sox catcher Welington Castillo was hit with an 80-game suspension after failing a drug test. He tested positive for Erythropoietin, more commonly known as EPO.
Castillo is the third player to fail a drug test in Major League Baseball this season. Minnesota Twins infielder Jorge Polanco failed for the steroid Stanozolol and multi-time All Star infielder Robinson Cano failed for Furosemide, a diuretic known to be used as a masking agent.
He is the first-ever MLB player to fail a drug test for EPO.
Erythropoietin was a common drug used to dope in cycling. Lance Armstong has admitted to using EPO at times during the Tour de France. It helps stimulate red blood cell production in your bone marrow. This drug is commonly prescribed to patients who are anemic or have hypoxemia due to chronic lung disease. It basically re-oxygenates your blood and gives you an edge in endurance races.
