The MLB commissioner’s workplace introduced this morning that Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martinez has acquired an 80-game suspension with out pay after testing optimistic for Clomiphene, a banned performance-enhancing substance. The suspension is efficient instantly. Martinez has since been positioned on the restricted record, and the Blue Jays have chosen the contract of outfielder Steward Berroa to switch the infielder on the energetic and 40-man rosters.
“The Blue Jays totally assist Main League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Therapy Program, and strongly consider in conserving the sport on a stage taking part in subject,” Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins mentioned in an announcement this morning. “We had been each shocked and disillusioned to listen to of Orelvis Martinez’s suspension. We’ll do every thing in our energy to make sure Orelvis has realized from this error. Orelvis has our assist, and we all know he’ll get by way of this.”
Martinez launched an announcement of his personal by way of the MLB Gamers Affiliation:
“For the previous two years, I’ve been attempting to start out a household with my girlfriend. In the course of the offseason, we visited a fertility clinic within the Dominican Republic and after getting lab work completed, we had been prescribed a remedy, which included a drugs known as Rejun 50. Sadly, Rejun 50 accommodates a banned substance known as Clomiphene.
We needed to maintain this matter personal, even inside our household, and trusted the physician who assured us this remedy didn’t embrace efficiency enhancing medicine. Subsequently, I made the error of not disclosing this to my group or the MLBPA. With that mentioned, I took full duty for my actions and accepted my suspension.
I need to apologize to my teammates in each Buffalo and Toronto, the Blue Jays group, and most significantly, the followers who’ve supported me throughout my profession. I’ll study from this expertise and are available again to the sector in September.”
The information is a significant blow to the Blue Jays, who recalled Martinez for his big-league debut simply this previous week to affix the membership’s infield combine after shortstop Bo Bichette hit the injured record with a calf pressure. Martinez has only one sport underneath his belt within the majors to this point, having gone 1-for-3 with a strikeout whereas taking part in second base in his big-league debut on Friday. Whereas Martinez’s big-league profession had solely simply begun, he’s lengthy been thought-about a consensus top-100 prospect within the sport and was within the midst of a wonderful displaying at Triple-A this 12 months when he acquired the decision to the majors. In 63 video games for the membership’s Buffalo affiliate this 12 months, Martinez slashed .260/.343/.523 whereas taking part in each second and third base.
Now, Martinez’s big-league profession is on maintain simply days after it first started. The earliest he’ll have the ability to return to play within the huge leagues is Sept. 23 in opposition to the Purple Sox, though given the truth that Martinez can be ineligible to take part within the postseason as a result of his suspension and that date touchdown simply six video games earlier than the top of the common season, it wouldn’t be a shock if Martinez didn’t find yourself returning to the majors till the 2025 marketing campaign.
Luckily for the Blue Jays, the membership has loads of choices at its disposal to fill out the membership’s infield combine whereas Bichette is injured, even with out Martinez. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has stepped into the on a regular basis position at shortstop since Bichette hit the shelf final week, and the membership figures to combine and match between Davis Schneider, Ernie Clement, Addison Barger, and Spencer Horwitz at second and third base whereas Bichette is away. The addition of Berroa to the roster combine ought to permit Schneider to combine into the infield extra steadily than he has in latest weeks, as he’s break up time between the keystone and left subject up to now within the season.
As for Berroa, the 25-year-old made his professional debut with the Jays again in 2017 and has labored his approach by way of the membership’s minor league system since then, finally reaching Triple-A late final 12 months. He struggled in that preliminary cup of espresso however has hit pretty effectively in 62 video games on the highest stage of the minors this season with a .295/.380/.451 slash line throughout 222 journeys to the plate. Berroa figures to issue into the membership’s outfield combine behind regulars Daulton Varsho, Kevin Kiermaier, and George Springer alongside Schneider.
