Toronto Blue Jays No. 2 prospect, shortstop Orelvis Martínez, suspended for PED violation

Just two days after he made his MLB debut, the top non-pitching prospect in the Toronto Blue Jay organization, shortstop Orelvis Martínez, has been busted for performance-enhancing drugs.

MLB announced Sunday that Martínez will be suspended 80 games without pay for a positive test for Clomiphene, which is a medication often prescribed to women who are having trouble ovulating. Clomiphene is on the list of banned substances, triggering a violation of MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

The suspension is effective immediately.

The Major League Baseball Players Association released a statement Sunday on behalf of Martínez, in which he said he had spent the last two years trying to start a family with his girlfriend and was prescribed a medication called Rejun 50 at 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.

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"With that said, I took full responsibility for my negligence and accepted my suspension."

Martínez also apologized to the organization and fans and said he will return to the field in September.

Martínez, 22, is the 68th-ranked prospect in baseball and is behind only pitcher Ricky Tiedemann (No. 38) in the Blue Jays organization. On Friday, he made his Major League debut in a 7-1 loss against the Cleveland Guardians, securing his first career hit in a 1-for-3 showing.

The hit came to lead off the sixth inning, and was a soft line drive over the shortstop on a 83 mph breaking ball. After the game, Martínez posed for photos with his members of his family who were in attendance, and fellow Dominican baseball star, José Ramírez, a third baseman for the Guardians.

Martínez had been called up to the Blue Jays on Tuesday, replacing shortstop Bo Bichette, who went on the 10-day injured list with a calf strain.

"The Blue Jays fully support Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, and strongly believe in keeping the game on a level playing field," general manager Ross Atkins said Sunday in a statement. "We were both surprised and disappointed to learn of Orelvis Martínez’s suspension. 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."

In 63 games with the Buffalo Bisons, Toronto's Triple-A affiliate, Martínez hit .260, with 16 home runs with 46 RBIs.