Andro Ban Not Expected Soon

Mark McGwire can probably take all the andro pills he wants this season because baseball is unlikely to ban the muscle-building supplement any time soon.

The results of a baseball-commissioned Harvard study on androstenedione, which are not expected until after opening day, will not be enough to warrant a ban, even if they show that andro raises testosterone levels, according to the No. 2 official of the players’ association.

The players, whose agreement is needed for any ban, want much stronger proof that andro enhances performance before they agree to a ban and random testing to enforce it, said Gene Orza, the union’s associate general counsel.

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The Arizona Diamondbacks finally traded for the leadoff man they wanted, getting National League stolen base leader Tony Womack from the Pittsburgh Pirates for a minor-league outfielder and a player to be named. . . . The Cleveland Indians re-signed veteran catcher Pat Borders to a minor-league contract and invited him to spring training. . . . Nearly a third of the 59 players in camp for the Philadelphia Phillies at Clearwater, Fla., were stricken with a stomach virus. . . . The chances of the Montreal Expos eventually moving have increased, with Commissioner Bud Selig denying a request to put off a March 6 deadline for having a new ownership group and stadium financing in place.