Verlander blasts PED rules after Gordon’s ban

7:16 PM ET

MINNEAPOLIS – In wake of a surprising 80-game suspension to Miami’s Dee Gordon, Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander spoke out about the current state of drug testing in Major League Baseball, calling for tougher standards.

Verlander said he believes there should be both more frequent testing and stiffer penalties for performance-enhancing drugs.

“I think the players, mostly, we’re all together. We want a clean game,” Verlander said prior to Friday’s game between the Tigers and Minnesota Twins at Target Field. “And us and the players association have pushed to where it is now. I think a lot of people will think the other way around. No, it’s the players pushing. We’ve pushed the system to where it’s at. And we still want it to be [better]. I mean we have the best testing system in the world right now [and] is it good enough? No.”

Verlander said the quality of testing is already “as good as it gets,” but that the frequency with which players undergo testing should be more stringent.

“The problem is the quality of the stuff guys are taking is better than the quality of our tests. They’re always a step ahead,” Verlander said. “But I think more [testing] and harsher penalties. And I think that’s a general consensus among players and I’m sure that’s- I think that’s what everyone wants. MLB needs to address it.”

Earlier in the day, Verlander tweeted this from his official Twitter account, …

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