The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announced today that Oakland Athletics outfielder Ramón Laureano has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Nandrolone, a performance-enhancing substance in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
The suspension of Laureano is effective immediately.
The A’s release a statement on the suspension:
The A’s were disappointed to learn of this suspension. We fully support MLB’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program and we will welcome Ramón back after the discipline has been served.
The MLBPA also issued a statement from Laureano in regards to the suspension:
I would never knowingly ingest any banned substance and put the game that I’ve loved all my life at risk. When I found out that I tested positive for nandrolone, I was shocked. I take great care of my body and have an extremely regimented diet. Based on the minuscule amount that was briefly in my body, I’ve learned that it is likely that it was a contamination of something I ingested.
I have been educated about PEDs through the RBI program and Baseball Factory while growing up. I know I don’t need any of that to perform on the baseball field. All my athletic success has come from my hard work, focus and dedication to the game.
I’d like to apologize for the distraction that this might cause my teammates, Billy Beane, David Forst, and the entire Oakland organization, community and fan base.I am devastated. Anyone who truly knows me as a person knows how much I love the game and that I would never intentionally do something like this.