The MLB commissioner’s workplace introduced this morning that Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martinez has obtained an 80-game suspension with out pay after testing constructive for Clomiphene, a banned performance-enhancing substance. The suspension is efficient instantly. Martinez has since been positioned on the restricted listing, and the Blue Jays have chosen the contract of outfielder Steward Berroa to interchange the infielder on the energetic and 40-man rosters.
“The Blue Jays absolutely assist Main League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Therapy Program, and strongly imagine in maintaining the sport on a degree enjoying area,” Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins mentioned in an announcement this morning. “We had been each stunned and dissatisfied to listen to of Orelvis Martinez’s suspension. We’ll do every part in our energy to make sure Orelvis has realized from this error. Orelvis has our assist, and we all know he’ll get via this.”
Martinez launched an announcement of his personal through the MLB Gamers Affiliation:
“For the previous two years, I’ve been making an attempt to begin a household with my girlfriend. Throughout the offseason, we visited a fertility clinic within the Dominican Republic and after getting lab work finished, we had been prescribed a remedy, which included a medicine referred to as Rejun 50. Sadly, Rejun 50 comprises a banned substance referred to as Clomiphene.
We wished to maintain this matter non-public, 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 workforce 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 be taught from this expertise and are available again to the sphere 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 listing 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 enjoying 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 exhibiting at Triple-A this 12 months when he obtained the decision to the majors. In 63 video games for the membership’s Buffalo affiliate this 12 months, Martinez slashed .260/.343/.523 whereas enjoying each second and third base.
Now, Martinez’s big-league profession is on maintain simply days after it first started. The earliest he’ll be capable to return to play within the huge leagues is Sept. 23 towards the Pink Sox, though given the truth that Martinez can be ineligible to take part within the postseason on account of his suspension and that date touchdown simply six video games earlier than the tip 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 ceaselessly than he has in latest weeks, as he’s cut up time between the keystone and left area so far within the season.
As for Berroa, the 25-year-old made his professional debut with the Jays again in 2017 and has labored his manner via the membership’s minor league system since then, in the end 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 degree 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.
