MLB player Orelvis Martinez, from the Toronto Blue Jays, has received an 80-game suspension due to a violation of the league's Performance-Enhancing Drug policy.
As per MLB reports, the 22-year-old athlete has been caught using Clomiphene, a fertility drug prohibited by the league's banned substance list.
Martinez, who recently stepped into the major leagues and secured his first career hit in the team's 7-1 loss against the Cleveland Guardians, admitted to seeking family planning assistance for the past two years following a consultation at a Dominican fertility clinic. He was prescribed Rejun 50, which carries clomiphene, over the winter.
"We intended to keep this personal matter concealed, even from our own family, and relied on the doctor's word that this treatment didn't contain performance- boosting drugs," Martinez explained in a statement issued through the MLB Players Association. "Regrettably, I neglected to inform my team or the union about this issue."
Martinez acknowledged his error and accepted the suspension that came with it, stating, "I'll use this experience as a learning opportunity and return to the field in September."
Signed as an international free agent in 2018, Martinez boasted a .260 batting average, 14 home runs, and 46 RBIs with the team's Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons, this season.
Blue Jays executive vice president and general manager, Ross Atkins, expressed disappointment over the news, stating, "We were both taken aback and disheartened to learn about Orelvis Martinez's suspension. We'll do our utmost to help him learn from his mistake. Orelvis has our backing, and we're confident he'll weather this storm."
