Bob Nightengale of USA Today questions Cincinnati Reds’ pitcher Edinson Volquez’s fertility drug excuse as the cause of his failed drug test. Not whether he took the drugs or not, but rather the reason for taking the fertility drug.

Gary Wadler, a board member of the World Anti-Doping Agency says that fertility pills are frequently used by athletes who are on steroids or coming off a steroid cycle or trying to create testosterone.  He adds, “its not a very effective drug for fertility.” The drug in question also is used to get testicles back to normal, and if Volquez was using this to have children, he would have requested a therapeutic use exemption.

Nightengale says that there were 108 players who received exemptions last year by Major League Baseball, two of them were for low levels of testosterone.

Yesterday, Major League Baseball suspended Volquez for 50 games for using performance enhancing drugs. Volquez said, “as a result, I tested positive when I reported to spring training,” he said. “Although I understand that I must accept responsibility for this mistake and have chosen not to challenge my suspension, I want to assure everyone that this was an isolated incident involving my genuine effort to treat a common medical issue.”

Volquez, 26, has a career 24-19 record with a 4.37 ERA with the Rangers and Reds. He was an NL All-Star in 2008.  His 2010 salary is $445,000, so on a prorated basis, the pitcher will lose about $137,346 for being suspended 50 games.