Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martinez was suspended 80 video games Sunday for violating Main League Baseball’s performance-enhancing drug coverage, simply two days after his large league debut.
Martinez, 22, is the Blue Jays’ high hitting prospect and was referred to as up final week after shortstop Bo Bichette was positioned on the injured record. Martinez examined constructive for clomiphene, a fertility drug on the league’s banned substance record.
In an announcement, Martinez mentioned he had spent the previous two years making an attempt to start out a household along with his girlfriend and was prescribed Rejun 50, a clomiphene pill, over the winter after visiting a fertility clinic in his native Dominican Republic.
“We wished to maintain this matter personal, even inside our household, and trusted the physician who assured us this therapy didn’t embrace performance-enhancing medicine,” Martinez mentioned within the assertion. “Subsequently, I made the error of not disclosing this to my crew or the MLBPA.
“With that mentioned, I took full accountability for my negligence and accepted my suspension.”
Martinez signed with the Blue Jays for $3.5 million in 2018 and emerged as probably the greatest power-hitting prospects within the minor leagues. Earlier than his debut, by which he performed second base and went 1-for-3, Martinez had hit 16 residence runs in 63 video games at Triple-A. Over the three earlier seasons, he hit 86 residence runs and drove in 257 runs.
“We have been each shocked and disenchanted to study of Orelvis Martinez’s suspension,” Blue Jays government vice chairman and basic supervisor Ross Atkins mentioned in an announcement. “We are going to do every little thing in our energy to make sure Orelvis has discovered from his mistake.
“Orelvis has our assist, and we all know he’ll get via this.”
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Martinez will likely be eligible to return to the crew for the ultimate six video games of the common season however is ineligible for any postseason video games this 12 months.
“Orelvis was upset, disenchanted and fairly sincere for a younger child when he advised us,” Blue Jays supervisor John Schneider mentioned Sunday. “He is clearly humbled and is aware of he made a mistake. We will assist him via the method.”
MartÃnez 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.
At 35-41, Toronto occupies final place within the American League East. The Blue Jays rank twenty seventh within the majors in runs scored (291) and will contemplate dealing away high gamers because the July 30 commerce deadline approaches.
MartÃnez turned the eighth participant penalized for performance-enhancing medicine this 12 months, the second underneath the most important league program. Noelvi Marte, a 22-year-old infielder who’s the Cincinnati Reds’ high prospect, was suspended for the primary 80 video games of the season underneath the most important league program following a constructive check for Boldenone.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
