The ITA reports that baseball player Emerson Rafael Martinez Franco has accepted a 3-year ban for his anti-doping rule violation
The International Testing Agency (ITA), on behalf of the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC), reports that Colombian baseball player Emerson Rafael Martinez Franco has accepted a three-year sanction after testing positive for the prohibited substance stanozolol.
The ITA, on behalf of WBSC, confirms that Emerson Rafael Martinez Franco, a baseball player from Colombia, has agreed¹ to the consequences for his anti-doping rule violation (ADRV).
As reported earlier, the player tested positive for metabolites of stanozolol after providing samples on 3 and 8 March 2026 during the 2026 World Baseball Classic. The player was provisionally suspended with effect from 30 March 2026.
The player did not request the analysis of either B sample within the applicable deadlines. He did not challenge the ADRV and agreed with the consequences for his ADRV under the WBSC anti-doping rules as proposed by the ITA. Accordingly, the case was resolved via an acceptance of consequences.
Due to his early admission of the ADRV, the player was entitled to a one-year reduction of the applicable period of ineligibility as set forth in article 10.8.1 of the WBSC anti-doping rules.²
The 3-year period of ineligibility is from 30 March 2026 until 29 March 2029. Additionally, the player’s individual results at the 2026 World Baseball Classic are disqualified, including forfeiture of medals, points and prizes. All other competitive results obtained by the player from the date of the first sample collection (3 March 2026) until the date of provisional suspension (30 March 2026) are also disqualified.
The decision may be challenged before the appeals division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by the parties with a right of appeal in accordance with Article 13.2.3 of the WBSC anti-doping rules.
The ITA will not comment further on this case.
The original press release can be found here: https://ita.sport/news/the-ita-reports-that-baseball-player-emerson-rafael-martinez-franco-has-accepted-a-3-year-ban-for-his-anti-doping-rule-violation/
