photo: Zeke Wood (Cleburne Railroaders)
On Tuesday, August 26, Major League Baseball announced that St. Louis Cardinals minor league pitcher Zeke Wood has been suspended for 80 games following positive tests for GW1516, a performance-enhancing substance, under the minor league drug program.
The Cardinals acquired Wood’s contract from Cleburne of the American Association on June 24 of this year.
Wood began his Cardinals tenure at Palm Beach and was promoted to Peoria on August 5. Between the two Class-A stops, he struggled, with an 8.49 ERA in 11 2/3 relief innings over 12 appearances. He yielded 16 hits, walked seven and fanned 13.
The Sulphur Springs, TX native attended Texas State University from 2021-2023. He was undrafted, then pitched for the Tri-City Valley Cats of the Frontier League in 2024, with a 1.89 ERA in 25 appearances including three starts.
In 2025, the 25-year-old joined the Cleburne (TX) Railroaders of the American Association after pitching in winter ball in Nicaragua during the off-season.
Wood made 19 appearances out of the Cleburne bullpen and carried a 1-1 record, going a perfect 3-for-3 in save opportunities. The right-hander posted a 2.10 ERA and struck out 33 batters in 21 1/3 innings.
If he survives in the organization, Wood will remain on the restricted list until midway through June 2026.
Wood is the third Cardinals minor leaguer suspended under the program in the last three years, following Kener Perez in 2024 and Leonardo Taveras in 2023, and the 44th in the organization since 2005. Ironically, Taveras was released the same day Wood’s action was announced.
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