Yeager Signs Contract That Includes Drug-Test Clause

Veteran catcher Steve Yeager has signed a one-year Dodger contract that includes a drug- and alcohol-testing clause, the team said Wednesday.

The Dodgers included a similar clause in a contract signed by outfielder Mike Marshall last winter, according to Executive Vice President Fred Claire.

However, the clause in Marshall’s contract was dropped after the Major League Players Assn. charged that it violated the joint drug agreement between the union and the owners.

Last month, the owners exercised their option to scrap the joint agreement because it did not include mandatory testing.

“Steve’s contract is the first we’ve dealt with at this point which includes the testing clause,� Claire said. “It’s something that we will talk about with each of our players and their representatives. I think it’s something that benefits both the player and the club.

“We believe in testing; we think it’s important. We’ve seen it work at the minor league level. I think there are a lot of players who share the feeling.�

Don Fehr, the acting executive director of the players’ association, was quoted last Sunday as saying that a grievance would be filed if a team insisted on including such a clause in a player’s contract. Fehr was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

Yeager’s contract also includes an option for a second year.