MINNEAPOLIS -- Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander has been one of Major League Baseball's most outspoken players regarding positive tests for performance-enhancing drugs resulting in immediate suspensions and not allowing players to play while an appeal runs its course.
With news of Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon being suspended 80 games, Verlander echoed his stance that any positive test should result in players being taken off the field.
"It's my opinion," Verlander told reporters before the Tigers opened a series against the Twins with a 9-2 win Friday night. "I think if a guy has tested positive, I don't think that they should be on the field affecting the outcome of baseball games when there's so much at stake.
"We're fighting and clawing for 162 games. You'd hate to see something happen where at the very end you lose by a game or something, and you can look back and say, 'What if?' What if that guy hadn't been on the field.' I think the players, mostly, I think we're all together. We want a clean game."
Shortly after Gordon's suspension for testing positive for exogenous Testosterone and Clostebol was announced, Verlander took to his Twitter account as an outlet for his frustration.
He expanded on those thoughts Friday. He didn't reference Gordon, but stayed strong in his stance and said he hopes the testing for performance-enhancing drugs can become even stronger.
"I think more testing," Verlander said about what could be changed. "The quality is as good as it gets. The problem is the quality of the stuff that guys are taking is better than the quality of our tests. They're always a step ahead. More and harsher penalties, and I think that's a general consensus amongst the players. I think that's what everybody wants."