Posted by Matt Sisson on Thursday, May 7, 2009 at 2:46 pm

According to the ESPN report detailing Manny Ramirez’s suspension for use of a banned substance:

Two sources told ESPN’s T.J. Quinn and Mark Fainaru-Wada that the drug used by Ramirez is HCG — human chorionic gonadotropin. HCG is a women’s fertility drug typically used by steroid users to restart their body’s natural testosterone production as they come off a steroid cycle. It is similar to Clomid, the drug Bonds, Giambi and others used as clients of BALCO.

In addition to this news, the report states:

A source with intimate knowledge of steroids told ESPN that a male athlete usually uses HCG after a cycle of steroids because steroids often shut down the testosterone-making ability of the testicles. HCG restores their capacity to make testosterone. 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.

Under the union agreement, the drugs major league players test positive for are not released by MLB or the players’ union. One former teammate of Ramirez’s said he thought players around the league would be surprised by the news, especially in an era of heightened drug testing. “I’m very surprised,” the former teammate told ESPN.com’s Amy K. Nelson, “especially how often [players] get tested and the no-tolerance thing. It’s pretty irresponsible.”

The blame game of he said she said continues. As more news becomes available I will be sure to include it here rather than in new posts.

Previously reported news:

From Yahoo! Sports:

A source close to Manny Ramirez(notes) said Thursday that the illegal substance for which the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger tested positive was not “an agent customarily used for performance enhancing.”

At least not on the baseball diamond. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, 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, the source said.

Ramirez tested positive for the substance during spring training, then was administered a second test more recently, and it also was positive. Major League Baseball notified Ramirez of the second positive test after Wednesday night’s Dodgers victory over the Washington Nationals. Ramirez admitted to having taken the substance and declined to appeal. His 50-game suspension begins today.

“The substance is not a steroid and it is not human-growth hormone,” the source said.

Ramirez, the source said, acquired the substance through a prescription from a doctor in Miami for his medical condition. The source intimated that Ramirez might bring legal action against the physician.

Ramirez released the following statement Thursday morning: “Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was okay to give me. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing; I’ve taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.

The Dodgers, who have won a Major League record 13 consecutive home games to start the season, will be without Ramirez until July 3. Outfielder Xavier Paul was promoted from triple-A to take Ramirez’s place on the roster. The suspension will cost Ramirez close to $8 million in lost wages.

I don’t think this is the last of stories like this but how much damage has already been done? With hundreds of posts having already been written all over the internet linking Manny to PED’s, many will neglect to follow up with the story. At least this one comes within just a few hours of the initial bomb. We’ll have to wait till later today when an official announcement has been made. This at least takes the pressure off of other players linked to Manny.