BUFFALO, N.Y. — Orelvis Martinez made his major-league debut on Friday. He was suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball following a positive test on Sunday.
The infielder fell in love with the game at a young age growing up in Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. He was called up to the big leagues on Friday and didn't waste any time getting his first hit, a single.
Martinez started the season as Toronto’s top hitting prospect and No. 2 overall prospect. The 22-year-old has been on the Blue Jays' 40-man roster since November of 2022.
Martinez played in 63 games for the Buffalo Bisons this season, batting .260 with 16 home runs and 46 RBIs.
With the suspension, Martinez will be eligible to play in the Blue Jays' final six regular season games. He cannot play in any postseason games this season.
Martinez tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug Clomiphene. He issued a statement released by the players' association, offering an apology to the team and its fans.
For the past two years, I have been trying to start a family with my girlfriend. During the offseason, we visited a fertility clinic in the Dominican Republic and after getting lab work done, we were prescribed a treatment, which included a medication called Rejun 50.
Unfortunately, Rejun 50 contains a banned substance called Clomiphene.
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. Therefore, I made the mistake of not disclosing this to my team or the MLBPA.
With that said, I took full responsibility for my actions and accepted my suspension.
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.
I will learn from this experience and come back to the field in September.
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