SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Whenever he hears about another baseball player from the Dominican Republic testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs, an all-too-common occurrence among his countrymen, Jenrry Mejia feels the same intense emotions: sadness and empathy.
Once a promising young closer for the Mets, Mejia, 33, can speak from experience. Since Major League Baseball began suspensions for first-time offenders in 2005, no player has been disciplined more than he has: His third positive test, which came in 2016, trigged a lifetime ban.
Mejia, then in his mid-20s, reacted rashly to the punishment and accused M.