Marlon Byrd Suspension: Former Cubs Outfielder Suspended 50 Games for Positive PED Test

Major League Baseball suspended outfielder Marlon Byrd 50 games Monday after he tested positive for Tamoxifen, a drug on the MLB’s performance-enhancing substance list that is commonly use to mitigate the side effects of steroids

Byrd, who started the season with the Chicago Cubs before being dealt to the Boston Red Sox on April 21, released the following statement after news of his positive PED test went public.

“I made an inexcusable mistake,” Byrd said in a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association. “Several years ago, I had surgery for a condition that was private and unrelated to baseball.

Last winter, I suffered a recurrence of that condition and I was provided with a medication that resulted in my positive test. Although that medication is on the banned list, I absolutely did not use it for performance enhancement reasons.”

Fox News reports that Byrd’s suspension will be in effect through Aug. 20, and will result in his loss of 50 days of pay. He is currently a free agent after being released by the Red Sox on June 12.

Over the course of his 11-year MLB career, Byrd has played for five teams and holds down a .278 batting average with 1067 hits and 445 career RBIs.

The 34-year-old finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2003 with the Phillies and was a National League All-Star with the Cubs in 2010.

“It’s just unfortunate that it’s another notch in baseball’s belt as far as the drug policy and steroids has to do with the game” Cubs manager Dale Sveum said after hearing of Byrd’s positive PED test and suspension. “It’s unfortunate those things keep happening.”

via ESPN