LOS ANGELES — Manny may be back to being Manny.
Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games on Thursday for violating Major League Baseball’s drug policy, the latest blow to America’s pastime in the game’s ongoing drug scandal.
In a statement, the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger denied taking steroids, explaining that he took a prescribed medication from a doctor that contained a banned substance.
“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. Unfortunately, the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under the policy that mistake is now my responsibility,” read the statement. “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 Mr. McCourt, Mrs. McCourt, Mr. Torre, my teammates, the Dodger organization, and to the Dodger fans,” the statement continued. “L.A. is a special place to me and I know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I’m sorry about this whole situation.”
Ramirez’s suspension began on Thursday and he will be eligible to return on July 3. He will lose almost $8 million of his $25 million salary as a result of his long layoff.
Ramirez was traded to the Dodgers from the Boston Red Sox last July. He helped lead his new team into the post-season and agreed to return in March when he signed a two-year, $45 million contract.
The 12-time all-star is the latest slugger to find himself in the middle of the game’s performance-enhancing drug scandal, joining the likes of Barry Bonds, Rafael Palmeiro, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Jose Canseco, Miguel Tejada and Alex Rodriguez.
