Alexei Ramírez, oldest WBC player, tests positive for steroids
Alexei Ramírez, the 44-year-old Cuban who became the oldest player in World Baseball Classic history this March, has tested positive for banned steroids. The International Testing Agency announced the result Wednesday from a sample collected during the 2026 tournament, where Ramírez appeared for two innings in left field for Cuba. The test detected metabolites of mesterolone, metandienone, oxandrolone and stanozolol, all synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroids prohibited at all times.
Ramírez surpassed Roger Clemens' mark as the previous oldest participant, set at age 43 for the United States in an earlier WBC. Cuba failed to advance from pool play in the 2026 event. The positive test triggers a mandatory provisional suspension, though Ramírez can appeal to seek its lifting.
A former Chicago White Sox All-Star shortstop, Ramírez played nine MLB seasons, eight with the White Sox plus brief stints with the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays. He batted .270 with 115 home runs, 590 RBIs and 143 stolen bases, finishing second to Evan Longoria in 2008 American League Rookie of the Year voting and earning his lone All-Star nod in 2014. Internationally, he captured Olympic gold with Cuba at the 2004 Athens Games and silver in the 2006 World Baseball Classic.
The steroids promote rapid muscle growth, increased strength and enhanced performance, according to the agency.
