Jays’ Orelvis Martinez suspended 80 games for doping violation

Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martinez’s rookie season is on maintain virtually as quickly because it started.

Main League Baseball suspended Martinez for 80 video games efficient instantly after he examined constructive for Clomiphene, a performance-enhancing drug. The ban comes two days after Martinez made his extremely anticipated MLB debut and means he is solely eligible to return with six video games left within the common season.

“We have been each stunned and disillusioned to be taught of Orelvis Martinez’s suspension,” Toronto common supervisor Ross Atkins mentioned in a press release. “We’ll do every thing in our energy to make sure Orelvis has realized from this error.

“Orelvis has our help, and we all know he’ll get by means of this.”

The 22-year-old Martinez had one hit in three plate appearances in his Blue Jays debut on Friday in a 7-1 loss to the Cleveland Guardians. Outfielder Steward Berroa was chosen to Toronto’s main league roster on Sunday morning to interchange Martinez, who was formally positioned on the workforce’s restricted checklist earlier than the sequence finale in Cleveland.

Martinez was broadly thought of one of many high 100 prospects in baseball, with Baseball America rating him No. 90, MLB rating him No. 89, and Baseball Prospectus score him No. 95 heading into this season.

He was hitting .260 with a .343 on-base share, with 16 house runs and 46 runs batted in 63 video games for the triple-A Buffalo Bisons this season.

Martinez mentioned in a press release Sunday that he unknowingly took the banned substance as he and his girlfriend tried to deal with fertility points after visiting a health care provider in his native Dominican Republic.

“We needed to maintain this matter non-public, even inside our household, and trusted the physician who assured us this therapy didn’t embrace efficiency enhancing medicine,” he mentioned. “Subsequently, I made the error of not disclosing this to my workforce or the MLBPA.

“With that mentioned, I took full accountability for my actions and accepted my suspension.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first printed June 23, 2024.