Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Urielves Martinez was suspended 80 video games on Sunday for violating Main League Baseball’s performance-enhancing drug coverage, simply two days after making his main league debut.
Martinez, 22, is the Blue Jays’ prime prospect and was known as up final week after shortstop Bo Bichette was positioned on the injured listing. Martinez examined constructive for clomiphene, a fertility drug on the league’s banned substances listing.
Martinez stated in an announcement that he had spent the previous two years making an attempt to start out a household together with his girlfriend, and was prescribed Regon 50, a clomiphene pill, over the winter after visiting a fertility clinic in his native Dominican Republic.
“We needed to maintain this matter non-public, even inside our household, and we trusted the physician, who assured us that this remedy didn’t embrace performance-enhancing medication,” Martinez stated within the assertion. “Due to this fact, I made a mistake by not disclosing this to my group or the MLBPA.
He added: “Nonetheless, I’ve taken full duty for my negligence and accepted my suspension.”
Martinez signed with the Blue Jays for $3.5 million in 2018 and has emerged as one of many prime prospects within the minor leagues. Earlier than his debut, during which he performed second base and went 1-for-3, Martinez had hit 16 house runs in 63 video games at Triple-A. Over the earlier three seasons, he hit 86 house runs and drove in 257 runs.
“We had been shocked and disenchanted to be taught of the suspension of Aurelves Martinez,” Blue Jays government vice chairman and basic supervisor Ross Atkins stated in an announcement. “We are going to do every part in our energy to make sure that Orelvis learns from his mistake.
“Urelves has our assist, and we all know he’ll get by means of this.”
Martinez will likely be eligible to return to the group in September.
At 35-41, Toronto sits final within the American League East. The Blue Jays rank twenty seventh within the majors in factors scored (291) and will contemplate offloading prime gamers because the July 30 commerce deadline approaches.
