Sidney Ponson Failed WBC Drug Test

Thursday we passed along the news that Geovany Soto had tested positive for marijuana during the World Baseball Classic this past spring. Just one day later, another positive result from the WBC round of testing has been revealed. Sidney Ponson, the embattled 32-year-old righty who pitched for the Netherlands, also tested positive for a banned substance.

It wasn't the mellow Mary Jane that Ponson was partaking in, though. Nope, he tested positive for phentermine, a stimulant. Like Soto, he'll avoid punishment from Major League Baseball and face a two-year ban from international play.

I actually had no idea what phentermine even was, so I went to the googles. What I found is sure to cue up the fat jokes. Ponson has been abused by the general public on message boards, radio call-in shows and in the media for having something of a weight problem the past several years. Here's what phentermine is, via drugs.com:

Phentermine is a stimulant that is similar to an amphetamine. It is an appetite suppressant that affects the central nervous system.

Phentermine is used together with diet, exercise and behavioral modification to treat obesity (excessively overweight) in people with risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

So, yeah, Ponson was using an appetite suppressant. It's unoriginal-but-still-kinda-funny joke time.

Ponson currently plays for the Kansas City Royals. He's on the disabled list, and was1-5 with a 7.27 ERA 11 appearances (6 starts) before falling injured.