Ramirez suspended for 50 games after positive drug test

Slugger Manny Ramirez is the latest high-profile baseball athlete caught in a drug scandal.

The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder was suspended for 50 games by Major League Baseball Thursday after testing positive for a banned substance. Ramirez said he did not take steroids and was prescribed medication by a doctor.

The commissioner's office didn't announce the violation but Ramirez, 36, will forfeit roughly one-third (about $7.6 million US) of his $25-million salary.

The suspension began Thursday and barring any postponements, Ramirez will be able to return to the Dodgers, who have the best record in baseball at 20-8 this season, for a July 3 game at San Diego.

"Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was OK to give me," Ramirez, a 12-time all-star, said in a statement issued by the players' union.

"Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility. I have been advised not to say anything more for now. I do want to say one other thing: I've taken and passed about 15 drug tests over the past five seasons.

"I want to apologize to [Dodgers owners] Mr. [Frank] McCourt, Mrs. [Jamie] McCourt, [Dodgers manager] Mr. [Joe] Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans. L.A. is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I'm sorry about this whole situation."

Two sources told ESPN that Ramirez used a women's fertility drug HCG, human chorionic gonadotropin. That sort of drug can be used by steroid users after they complete cycles to get their bodies to produce testosterone naturally again.

Under the MLB's drug policy, a player receives a 50-game suspension for a first positive drug test, a 100-game suspension for a second positive test and a lifetime ban for a third positive test. All suspensions are without pay.

While Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Alex Rodriguez, Jose Canseco and a long list of stars have been implicated in the use of performance-enhancing drugs, Ramirez is the most prominent player suspended under the drug policy players and owners put in place seven years ago.

This is the second major drug scandal that baseball has faced in the last three months.

In February, Rodriguez admitted he took steroids when he was playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001-03.

But testing with penalties didn't begin until 2004, and the New York Yankees third baseman doesn't appear likely to be suspended.

The players' association said Ramirez was suspended by the commissioner under the "just cause" provision of section 8.G.2 of the joint drug agreement.

"The commissioner's office is precluded from making any comment by the Collective Bargaining Agreement," MLB spokesman Rich Levin said.

Juan Pierre would be the immediate replacement for Ramirez in left field, but the Dodgers are expected to promote triple-A outfielder Xavier Paul on Thursday.

Ramirez has already hit six home runs and knocked in 20 runs while posting a .348 batting average in his first full season with L.A. The Dodgers have a perfect 13-0 mark at home — a modern-day record for a team to start the season.

Just two relatively low-profile players were suspended under the major league program last year, San Francisco catcher Elizier Alfonzo and Colorado catcher Humberto Coto.

In the past, the best-known player penalized was Baltimore's Rafael Palmeiro, who received a 10-day suspension in 2005, the first year of penalties for first infractions.

Ramirez was acquired by Los Angeles from Boston last July 31 and became a fan favourite. His contract negotiations became a long-running drama during the off-season, and he agreed in early March — well after the start of spring training — to a $45 million, two-year contract that gives him the right to void the second season and become a free agent again.