Milwaukee Brewers catcher Pedro Severino has been suspended for 80 games – nearly half the season – for testing positive for a banned drug.
The Commissioner’s office stated that Severino tested positive for Clomiphene, which is a performance-enhancing drug banned by the league. However, Severino has claimed that he had a valid reason for taking the drug – despite this, he has chosen not to appeal.
“Since late 2020, my wife and I had been trying to start a family unsuccessfully,” Severino said in a statement. “When we returned to the Dominican Republic after the 2021 season, we sought medical assistance to determine why we had not succeeded. One of the doctors I consulted with prescribed me with a medication to treat infertility issues. Unfortunately, I now know that the medication contained Clomiphene. I accept responsibility for this mistake and have decided not to challenge my suspension.”
Pedro Severino says he was taking medication to treat infertility issues that inadvertently contained Clomiphene, a PED, calling it a mistake pic.twitter.com/dL60a3gsTX
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 5, 2022
Severino went on to add that he had been tested “more than 100 times” in his career, and had been fine up until this point. The catcher will forgo half of his $1.9 million salary.
Severino is not alone on the list of players currently suspended due to PED use. Free agent players Jose Rondon, Danny Santana, and Richard Rodriguez were also suspended this week due to testing positive for Boldenone, another banned substance. All of the tests were taken via urine samples prior to the lockout on December 2, 2021, but MLB could not announce the results during the lockout period.
“This time of year, this timeframe of a couple of days before opening day, is not ideal to be looking for a specific team need, but we’re already actively engaged in conversations,” Brewers President David Stearns sternly said. “We’ll see if anything comes of that in the next 24-48 hours, and if not, we have confidence in what we have internally.”
What do you think of Pedro Severino’s suspension, and the Brewers’ loss of a critical catcher? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
