Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martinez, who made his Major League Baseball debut on Friday (June 21), has been suspended 80 games for a violation of the league's performance-enhancing drug policy on Sunday (June 23), according to MLB.com.
Martinez, 22, of the Dominican Republic, tested positive for Clomiphene, according to the league. The infielder was told of his suspension Saturday (June 22) night and immediately notified Blue Jays manager John Schneider and general manager Ross Atkins.
“Extremely disappointed and surprised,” Atkins said before the Blue Jays' road game against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday via MLB.com. “We fully support the program and want a level playing field, and we’ll work with him to ensure he’s learned from this. Obviously, a big mistake. We'll support him when he returns and through the process.
Martinez claimed to have been prescribed a fertility drug by a doctor in his home country that resulted in the positive test.
"... I took full responsibility for my actions and accepted my suspension," Martinez said in a statement obtained by MLB,.com. "I want to apologize to my teammates in both Buffalo and Toronto, the Blue Jays organization, and most importantly, the fans who have supported me during my career."
Atkins said he believes the test occurred prior to Martinez's MLB call up last week. The 21-year-old went 1-3 with a strikeout in his MLB debut, a 7-1 loss to the Guardians, on Friday.