The Oakland A's outfielder claims he didn't knowingly ingest Nandrolone, a performance-enhancing substance. He will be suspended without pay.
Oakland's Ramón Laureano has been suspended without pay for 80 games after testing positive for Nandrolone, a performance-enhancing substance.
The outfielder was earning $580,500 this season but will lose nearly half of that, as well as a prorated portion of whatever salary he earns this winter, when he'll be eligible for arbitration for the first time.
Laureano released a statement, claiming he did not knowingly ingest the PED and that he is "devastated."
"I would never knowingly ingest any banned substance and put the game I've loved all my life at risk. When I found out that I tested positive for Nandrolone, I was shocked. I take great care of my body and have an extremely regimented diet. Based on the minuscule amount that was briefly in my body, I've learned that it is likely that it was contamination of something I ingested."
He added, "I know I don't need any of that to perform on the baseball field. All of my athletic success has come from my hard work, focus and dedication to the game."
Laureano slashed .246/.317/.443 to go with 14 home runs, 39 RBIs and 12 stolen bases in 88 games this season.
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