Baseball players to OK new drug testing deal soon

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The head of the Major League Baseball players' union said on Friday he expects members to ratify tougher drug-testing rules soon.

The players have until May 23 to ratify the agreement, which allows for increased drug testing, including in the off-season, while strengthening the authority of the independent program administrator and adding to the list of banned substances.

"The players are in the process of ratifying (the deal)," Don Fehr, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, told Reuters.

Baseball owners on Thursday unanimously ratified the deal, which was agreed to by both sides last month.

"The owners can have one meeting and have everyone vote on it all at once," Fehr said in an interview at the Sports Lawyers Association conference in San Francisco. "For us, it takes communicating with players on 30 teams and 30 separate meetings ... but I think you'll see a ratification announcement from us before too much longer."

Baseball has been dogged by questions over the years about the use of steroids and other drugs by some players, leading Congress to question Fehr and the sport's commissioner, Bud Selig, and demand tougher testing procedures.

Baseball's all-time home run king, Barry Bonds, on Tuesday was charged with 14 counts of perjury and one count of obstruction of justice, after a judge tossed out earlier allegations of lies about past steroid use.

Bonds has long maintained he never knowingly used steroids, but his reputation has suffered amid the allegations. No team has signed him this season despite the 43-year-old's expressed desire to play, and the union has said it is investigating whether collusion by teams is preventing Bonds from playing.

Fehr said there was nothing new to report on that probe and it would be settled as quickly as possible.

(Editing by Braden Reddall)