Blue Jays’ best hitting talent suspended for violating PED regulations

The 2024 MLB season hasn’t even reached the All-Star break yet, but the struggling Toronto Blue Jays have already been dealt another setback. Just two days after making his major league debut, shortstop Orelvis Martínez, the organization’s top non-pitcher prospect, tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug.

On June 23, Major League Baseball announced in a press release that Martínez had tested positive for the banned substance clomiphene and would receive an 80-game suspension without pay for violating MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension takes effect immediately.

Martínez is the Blue Jays’ second-best prospect, behind only pitcher Ricky Tiedemann, and is ranked 68th among baseball’s prospects, according to MLB.com.

After the suspension The MLB Players Association released a statement on behalf of Martínezin which the shortstop claimed that he had been trying to start a family with his girlfriend for the past two years and was prescribed Rajun 50, a tablet containing clomiphene, after visiting a fertility clinic in the Dominican Republic.

“We also wanted to keep this matter private within our family and trusted the doctor who assured us that this treatment did not involve any performance-enhancing drugs,” Martínez said in the statement. “That is why I made the mistake of not disclosing this to my team or the MLBPA.”

“In this context, I take full responsibility for my negligence and accept my suspension.”

Martínez is the eighth player to be penalized for doping this year. Noelvi Marte of the Cincinnati Reds, who was suspended for 80 games on March 8 after testing positive for boldenone, is the only other player to have violated the major league program this season.

Martínez’s suspension comes just two days after his Major League debut

Martínez’s 80-game suspension comes just two days after his major league debut. The shortstop was called up on June 18 to replace Bo Bichette, who went on the 10-day injured list with a calf strain. Martínez played his first game with the Blue Jays on June 21 and managed to record his first career hit in a 1-for-3 outing against the Cleveland Guardians.

In 63 games in Triple-A this season, Martínez hit 16 home runs and 46 RBIs with an OPS of .867, after hitting 30 and 28 home runs in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Before his Blue Jays debut on June 21, Martínez told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson that he was ready for the opportunity to step up.

“I’ve worked very hard,” Martínez said through a club interpreter. “Yes, on my strength and my hitting, but also on my defensive performance. Now I’m here and I’m just trying to show them what I’m capable of.”

Blue Jays support Martínez during his suspension for performance-enhancing drugs

After MLB announced Martínez’s suspension, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins released a statement expressing the team’s support for MLB’s joint drug prevention and treatment program, as well as its continued support for Martínez.

“We were both surprised and disappointed to learn of the suspension of Orelvis Martínez,” Atkins wrote. by Matheson“We will do everything in our power to ensure Orelvis learns from this mistake. Orelvis has our support and we know he will get through this.”

After his suspension expires, Martínez will be eligible to return to the Blue Jays for the final six games of the 2024 regular season. If the team makes the playoffs, he will not be eligible to play in any postseason games. As of June 23, the Blue Jays are last in the AL East with a record of 35-42.