A very good source on the Ryan Braun side of the drug testing controversy assures me that Braun did not test positive for a performance-enhancing drug, as reported by ESPN's "Outside the Lines."
ESPN reported that Braun tested positive for a PED that gave him an abnormally high testosterone level, which proved to be synthetic and therefore not produced by the body.
But my source -- and again, this is from Braun's end and not MLB -- familiar with the test's findings says the "prohibited substance" was not a performance-enhancing drug or steroid of any kind. And the source says there has "never" been a result like this in the history of the MLB testing program.
The source said MLB "knows that Ryan is telling the truth" and that source firmly believes the postive test will be overturned. Pretty amazing stuff, huh?
The source said more detail couldn't be provided at this time because of the ongoing legal process. But suffice it to say that this is getting more interesting by the minute. If the prohibited substance wasn't a PED, it still triggered a positive result in MLB's steroid-testing policy.
If the prohibited substance Braun tested positive for was a stimulant instead of a steroid, he wouldn't be facing a 50-game suspension. The first offense for stimulants results in a 25-game suspension.
