MILWAUKEE — Ryan Braun was suspended for the remainder of the 2013 season by Major League Baseball, and the Milwaukee Brewers slugger accepted responsibility for violating the sport’s drug policy.
The suspension comes as a result of baseball’s investigation into the now-closed Biogenesis of America clinic in Coral Gables, Fla., where Braun, among a long list of other players, is believed to have obtained performance-enhancing drugs.
Braun will miss the Brewers’ remaining 65 games this year after reportedly reaching an agreement with MLB.
He will not be paid during the suspension.
Brewers manager Ron Roenicke had not yet posted a lineup for Milwaukee’s game Monday night against the San Diego Padres at Miller Park, telling reporters that he was waiting to see how Braun and center fielder Carlos Gomez, both dealing with minor injuries, reacted in batting practice.
Approximately 45 minutes later, MLB announced the suspension.
Braun did not speak with reporters prior to the game, but he did issue a statement: “As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect. I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions.
“This situation has taken a toll on me and my entire family, and it has been a distraction to my teammates and the Brewers organization. I am very grateful for the support I have received from players, ownership and the fans in Milwaukee and around the country.
“Finally, I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed — all of the baseball fans especially those in Milwaukee, the great Brewers organization, and my teammates. I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love.”
Rob Manfred, executive vice president, economics and league affairs for Major League Baseball, said in a statement, “We commend Ryan Braun for taking responsibility for his past actions. We all agree that it is in the best interests of the game to resolve this matter. When Ryan returns, we look forward to him making positive contributions to Major League Baseball, both on and off the field.”
Braun was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 2011 after hitting .332 with 33 home runs and 111 RBIs, leading the Brewers to their first NL Central championship and within two games of their first World Series in 28 years.
Two weeks after that announcement, news leaked that Braun had tested positive for synthetic testosterone. Braun immediately proclaimed his innocence, telling the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the news was “all B.S.”
In a 2-1 vote the next February, an arbitration panel repealed his 50-game suspension, citing concerns with the sample’s chain of custody.
At a press conference following that decision, Braun told reporters his “name has been dragged through the mud” and that “the simple truth is that I’m innocent. The truth is always relevant, and the truth prevailed.”
Braun followed up his MVP season with another strong performance, batting .319 with a league-leading 41 home runs plus 108 runs and 112 RBIs. This year, he is hitting .298 with nine homers and 38 RBIs in 61 games, and his streak of five consecutive All-Star Game appearances ended. He missed 26 games from June 10-July 8 due to a right hand injury.
Just when it seemed Braun’s PED saga was in the past, Braun’s name was mentioned by Yahoo Sports as being listed on documents found at the Biogenesis clinic. Braun’s legal team said that it had consulted clinic operator Tony Bosch during the original appeal process and denied accusations that Braun obtained PEDs from the clinic.
“The truth hasn’t changed,” Braun said at the time while declining to answer further questions.
After Bosch agreed to cooperate with MLB’s investigation, reports surfaced early this year that Braun was one of as many as 20 players facing suspension, but he denied that they had any effect on his daily preparations.
“In regards to that whole crazy situation, the truth still hasn’t changed. I’m still going to continue to respect the process and not discuss anything in the media,” Braun said July 9, a day after returning from the disabled list. “Beyond that, I think the vast majority of the stories that have come out are inaccurate. Aside from that, I’m not going to say anything.”
The Brewers now move forward without one of their best players. Braun addressed his teammates before leaving Miller Park earlier Monday afternoon, according to general manager Doug Melvin, who expressed a sense of relief that the uncertainty has ended.
“From the ballclub’s standpoint, a decision has finally been made in regards to Ryan,” Melvin said. “From that standpoint, as the general manager of the ballclub, we’re happy that that decision has come to an end. We support the commissioner’s drug program. The commissioner’s office, the union and Ryan have all gotten together and put an end to this. We as a ballclub can move forward, concentrate on the 25 players on the field, and move forward and try to win as many ballgames as we can.”
Milwaukee has struggled this season, and at 41-56, began play Monday in last place in the National League Central, 18 1/2 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals.
Melvin was asked about Braun’s future in Milwaukee. The left fielder is under contract until 2020 after signing a $105 million extension in 2011 that added five years to his original seven-year contract signed in 2008.
All told, Braun is owed approximately $133 million over the next eight seasons.
“He’s a Milwaukee Brewer,” Melvin said. He’s wearing the uniform next year. His focus will be to get ready for next year.”