Major League clubs have been informed that top 2016 Draft prospect Delvin Perez of Puerto Rico has been flagged for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug, according to multiple reports.
It's unclear which drug was detected or the extent to which the teenage shortstop's Draft status could be affected by the revelation. MLB Network's Jon Heyman first reported Perez's failed test, and Baseball America reported that the Puerto Rican shortstop "failed the test for an undisclosed performance-enhancer."
Players who test positive for PEDs prior to being drafted are not subject to suspension upon signing with a team but are required to take additional follow-up tests as professionals. The top 200 Draft prospects, as determined by the Major League Baseball Scouting Bureau, are subject to drug testing prior to the Draft and are not eligible to be selected if they decline to be tested.
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Perez was widely regarded as a potential Top 10 pick in the Draft, which begins on Thursday. The slick-fielding 17-year-old shortstop is No. 9 on MLB.com's Top 200 Draft Prospects list and could be the highest drafted Puerto Rican player since Carlos Correa went No. 1 overall in 2012. Perez worked out privately for the White Sox, who have the 10th overall pick, and the Brewers, who have the fifth overall pick, this week, according to industry sources.
Perez played for International Baseball Academy and High School and travel ball for FTB Puerto Rico.
In addition to Perez, two other top Draft prospects failed pre-Draft drug tests. Jim Callis has learned that the University of Kentucky's Kyle Cody and Javon Shelby both tested positive for Adderall. Cody, a right-hander who was the 73rd overall pick of the Twins in last year's Draft, is No. 152 on MLBPipeline.com's Top 200 list. Shelby, a third baseman, is the son of former big leaguer John Shelby and cousin of Pirates All-Star Josh Harrison. He is No. 158 on the Top 200.
Adderall is generally prescribed for those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and is on Major League Baseball's list of banned substances. A player needs a prescription for it or face suspension for a positive test.
In 2013, current Rockies starter Jon Gray and Braves pitcher Aaron Blair both tested positive for Adderall just prior to the Draft.
Gray, the ace of the University of Oklahoma at the time, was considered the potential No. 1 overall pick. He ultimately went No. 3 overall to Colorado and reached the big leagues in his second full professional season, just over two years after being drafted. The 24-year-old right-hander has gone 4-4 with a 5.42 ERA in 18 big league starts.
Blair, who was ranked No. 35 on MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Draft Prospects list at the time went No. 36 overall to the D-backs out of Marshall University. He spent three seasons in Arizona's Minor League system before being sent to Atlanta this offseason along with Ender Inciarte and 2015 No. 1 overall Draft pick Dansby Swanson for Shelby Miller and Gabe Speier.
Blair made his big league debut for the Braves on April 24 and is 0-4 with a 7.13 ERA in eight starts for Atlanta this year.