Blue Jays’ Orelvis Martínez gets 80-game drug suspension

NEW YORK (AP) — Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martínez was suspended for 80 video games by Main League Baseball on Sunday following a optimistic check for the performance-enhancing drug Clomiphene, an announcement made two days after his main league debut.

Martínez, 22, has been on the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster since November 2022. He went 1 for 3 with a strikeout on Friday at Cleveland.

“Orelvis was upset, upset and fairly sincere for a younger child when he informed us,” Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider stated earlier than the staff’s finale in opposition to the Guardians. “He’s clearly humbled and is aware of he made a mistake. We’re going to help him by the method.”

Martínez is eligible to return for the ultimate six video games of the common season however is ineligible for any postseason video games this yr. He issued a press release apologizing to the Blue Jays and their followers.

“For the previous two years, I’ve been attempting to begin a household with my girlfriend. In the course of the offseason, we visited a fertility clinic within the Dominican Republic and after getting lab work completed, we had been prescribed a remedy, which included a medicine known as Rejun 50,” Martínez stated in a press release launched by the gamers’ affiliation.

“Sadly, Rejun 50 comprises a banned substance known as Clomiphene. We needed to maintain this matter non-public, even inside our household, and trusted the physician who assured us this remedy didn’t embrace performance-enhancing medication. Due to this fact, I made the error of not disclosing this to my staff or the MLBPA. With that stated, I took full duty for my actions and accepted my suspension.”

Martínez signed with Toronto in July 2018 for a $3.51 million bonus and climbed his means up the Blue Jays’ minor league system. He hit .260 with 16 homers, 46 RBIs and an .867 OPS in 63 video games this season at Triple-A Buffalo.

“He was unaware the substance was banned, however clearly, it’s an enormous mistake,” Blue Jays basic supervisor Ross Atkins stated within the visiting dugout at Progressive Discipline. “We’re clearly extraordinarily upset and really stunned.”

Martínez will lose about half his wage. His contract requires $740,000 whereas within the main leagues and $120,600 whereas within the minors, each the minimal.

“I’ll study from this expertise and are available again to the sector in September,” Martínez stated.

He turned the eighth participant penalized for performance-enhancing medication this yr, the second below the foremost league program. Noelvi Marté, a 22-year-old infielder who’s the Cincinnati Reds’ prime prospect, was suspended for the primary 80 video games of the season below the foremost league program following a optimistic check for Boldenone.

5 gamers have been suspended below the minor league program and one below MLB’s new drug program for minor league gamers assigned exterior the USA and Canada.

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