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Toronto Blue Jays prospect Orelvis Martinez has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for the performance-enhancing substance Clomiphene, the league said on Sunday. This means that Martinez won't be eligible to return until effectively the final week of the regular season.
This is among the longest that the sport hands out, but it is routinely the length for those who violate the PED policy like Martinez did.
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Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said via ESPN:
"We were both surprised and disappointed to learn of Orelvis Martinez's suspension. We will do everything in our power to ensure Orelvis has learned from his mistake."
Martinez, the Blue Jays' prospect, made his debut against the Cleveland Guardians on June 21. The second baseman went 1-3.
However, Martinez had been playing well at AAA, hitting 16 home runs in 63 games this season.
Orelvis Martinez cites fertility drug for PED suspension
The second baseman tested positive for Clomiphene, a fertility drug that is banned by MLB. Orelvis Martinez stated that he was assured that any treatment for fertility was not a PED.
"We wanted to keep this matter private, even within our family, and trusted the doctor who assured us this treatment did not include performance-enhancing drugs," Martinez said.
"Therefore, I made the mistake of not disclosing this to my team or the MLBPA. With that said, I took full responsibility for my negligence and accepted my suspension." [via ESPN].
He said he and his girlfriend had been trying to start a family for two years and had been taking Rejun 50, a Clomiphene tablet, since the winter when it was prescribed to them.
Martinez was the top-hitting prospect in the Blue Jays farm system. He was called up for his debut in the wake of Bo Bichette's IL stint and started the game on Friday. His stint was short-lived, as he is no longer active and can't even play until the end of September at the earliest.
