Javier Báez received a two-year suspension and will not play in the 2026 World Baseball Classic due to marijuana use that triggered a failed drug test during the 2023 tournament, the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, reports.
Baez would’ve competed for Puerto Rico.
The Detroit Tigers shortstop tested positive for the substance during an exam conducted on March 12, 2023, which was during the WBC. His suspension, which keeps him out of World Baseball Softball Confederation events, spans from April 26, 2024 to April 26, 2026. The 2026 WBC will be played from March 5-17.
He was not suspended by the Tigers or MLB and played during the 2024 and 2025 seasons.
Both the MLB and MLB Players Association worked together to clear Baez for the WBC, but the attempt was deemed unsuccessful, according to the Detroit Free Press. In 2020, the MLB and MLBPA jointly negotiated a drug policy that permitted the use of marijuana.
The WBSC governs the WBC’s drug usage rules and still prohibits marijuana.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Javier Baez suspended from World Baseball Classic over marijuana use
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