Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday that Cleveland Indians outfielder Marlon Byrd will serve a 162-game suspension for testing positive for Ipamorelin, a releaser of human growth hormone.
This is Byrd’s second suspension for taking performance-enhancing drugs, having received a 50-game ban in 2012 after testing positive for Taxmoxifen.
After MLB’s announcement, Byrd released a statement regarding the suspension, stating he didn’t realize he was taking Ipamorelin:
“…certain supplements I was taking were not on the NSF Certified for Sport list, and therefore, I assumed certain risks in taking them,” the outfielder said. “When I learned that I had tested positive for Ipamorelin, I retained the services of private counsel and an independent chemist to determine the origin of the Ipamorelin test result because I never knowingly ingested Ipamorelin. After an extensive investigation by my lawyers and an independent chemist, it was concluded that the most likely source of Ipamorelin was a tainted supplement.”
Some have questioned Byrd’s claims of negligence, including ESPN investigative reporter T.J. Quinn.
“Ipamorelin is not a drug someone is likely to stumble into by accident,” Quinn wrote in a tweet. “This is what a knowledgeable user would use.”
Nevertheless, Byrd did not shy away from taking the blame for his suspension, saying that “I alone am responsible for what I put in my body” before apologizing “for any harm this has caused the Cleveland Indians, Indians’ fans, my teammates, and most importantly, my family.”
At 38 years old, the likelihood of Byrd, a 15-year veteran, returning to the majors after sitting out a full season is a slim possibility.
Byrd’s is the eighth PED-related suspension handed out by MLB since the beginning of 2016, the most in any calendar year since 2013. While most baseball fans believe the “Steroid Era” in America’s pastime is officially over, doping remains a serious problem on the diamond and sports in general. Thankfully, players no longer get away with cheating as often as in the past, and hopefully the lengthy penalties continue to dissuade players from seeking after these supplements.