LOS ANGELES – It’s been a rough year for Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Josh Ravin. After a family tragedy a year ago, Ravin broke his arm in a car accident during spring training. On Monday, Ravin received more bad news as he has been suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games after he tested positive for a banned substance. Yahoo Sports was the first to report the news of the positive test and subsequent suspension.
Ravin becomes just the sixth player in 2016 to be suspended for a positive test for PED’s, following news earlier this week that Miami Marlins All-Star and former Dodger, Dee Gordon, tested positive for two banned substances in spring training. Ravin and Gordon join Toronto Blue Jays slugger Chris Colabello, Cleveland Indians center fielder Abraham Almonte, Philadelphia Phillies reliever Daniel Stumpf and New York Mets reliever Jenrry Mejia (who was banned for life) as the other players in baseball to test positive this year.
“We are disappointed to hear that Josh has violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the Dodgers said in a statement released on Monday. “The Dodgers fully support MLB’s policy toward eliminating performance enhancing substances from the sport and, as per the Joint Drug Program, we will have no further comment on this suspension.”
Ravin was currently on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, but has been on the 60-day disabled list since the start of the season. He debuted with the Dodgers last year, and appeared in nine games, striking out 12 batters and posting an ERA of 6.75.
“During 2016 spring training, I came down with a severe case of intestinal flu and strep throat,” Ravin said Monday in his own statement. “I was put on antibiotics and lost a total of 20 pounds in less than seven days. To try and speed up my recovery, I took some supplements that I thought would help. Unfortunately, I was not as careful as I should have been and one of the supplements contained a banned substance.
“I later learned that the substance showed up in a regular drug test done of me during 2016 spring training. This has been a very painful lesson for me. I have always tried to avoid doing anything in violation of the system and I take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions and bad judgment. So, I have decided to accept the suspension and continue my ultimate goal to be able to pitch again in the major leagues.”
Ravin’s reason for the positive test is probable considering that his bout with the flu in spring training was widely reported, and that with the injury to his non-throwing arm, it was doubtful he would pitch for months. Regardless, he knowingly or unknowingly took a banned substance from the MLB Drug Policy list and will serve his suspension immediately.
Sports
Get today's sports news out of Los Angeles. Here's the latest on the Dodgers, Lakers, Angels, Kings, Galaxy, LAFC, USC, UCLA and more LA teams.
The timing of the suspension comes on the heels of a bizarre Twitter exchange between Ravin and Dodger teammate Kiké Hernandez last week. NBC LA was one of the first to report the exchange.
Ravin was a fifth-round draft pick by the Cincinnati Reds in 2006.
