The 2024 MLB season is yet to even reach the All-Star Break, but the struggling Toronto Blue Jays have been dealt yet another blow. Just two days after making his major-league debut, the organization’s top non-pitching prospect, shortstop Orelvis Martínez, has 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 violation of MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. The suspension is effective immediately.
Martínez is the No. 2 prospect in the Blue Jays organization, only behind pitcher Ricky Tiedemann, and the 68th-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB.com.
Following the suspension, the MLB Players Association released a statement on behalf of Martínez, in which the shortstop claimed he had been trying to start a family with his girlfriend over the last two years and was prescribed Rajun 50, a tablet containing Clomiphene, after visiting a fertility clinic in the Dominican Republic.
“We wanted to keep this matter private, even within our family, and trusted the doctor who assured us this treatment did not include performance-enhancing drugs,” Martínez said in the statement. “Therefore, I made the mistake of not disclosing this to my team or the MLBPA.
“With that said, I took full responsibility for my negligence and accepted my suspension.”
Martínez is the eighth player to be penalized for performance-enhancing drugs this year. The Cincinnati Reds‘ Noelvi Marte, who received an 80-game suspension on March 8 after testing positive for Boldenone, is the only other player this season to be found in violation of the major-league program.
Martínez’s Suspension Comes Just Two Days After His Major-League Debut
Martínez’s 80-game suspension comes just two days after he made his major-league debut, with the shortstop having been called up on June 18 to replace Bo Bichette, who went on the 10-day injured list with a calf strain. Martínez appeared in his first game with the Blue Jays on June 21, managing to record his first career hit in a 1-for-3 showing against the Cleveland Guardians.
“My dream since I was a little kid was to be a Major League baseball player. I’m grateful for this opportunity” – Orelvis Martinez 🇩🇴
In 63 games in Triple-A this season, Martínez hit 16 home runs and 46 RBIs with a .867 OPS, having posted 30 and 28 home runs in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Prior to his debut with the Blue Jays on June 21, Martínez told MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson that he was ready for the opportunity to step up.
“I’ve been working very hard,” Martínez said through a club interpreter. “Yes, on my power and my hitting, but on my defensive side, too. I’m here now and I’m just trying to show them what I’m capable of doing.”
Blue Jays Support Martínez Through PED Suspension
Following MLB’s announcement of Martínez’s suspension, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins released a statement expressing the team’s support for MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, as well and their continued support for Martínez.
“We were both surprised and disappointed to learn of Orelvis Martínez’s suspension,” Atkins wrote, per Matheson. “We will do everything in our power to ensure Orelvis has learned from this mistake. Orelvis has our support, and we know he will get through this.”
After his suspension is complete, Martínez will be eligible to return to the Blue Jays for the final six games of the 2024 regular season. He is ineligible for any postseason games, should the team advance to the playoffs. As of June 23, the Blue Jays are last in the AL East with a record of 35-42.
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Blue Jays Top Hitting Prospect Suspended for PED Violation