Ryan Braun Admits Drug Policy Violations, Suspended for Remainder of Season

Major League Baseball suspended Milwaukee Brewers superstar Ryan Braun for the remainder of the 2013 season without pay, and the slugger accepted the penalty after admitting to making “mistakes” in violation of Major League Baseball’s drug policy.

As the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported, the suspension, which begins immediately, means Braun “was caught red-handed either buying and/or using performance-enhancing drugs.”

Braun had repeatedly denied that he had ever used performance-enhancing drugs, and his suspension comes as a result of the Biogenesis clinic investigation, which began after a story the Miami New Times broke. Other players, like New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez and Texas’s Nelson Cruz, have also been implicated. 

As the Journal Sentinel noted, the “suspension also exposed Braun as a liar because he has stated many times that he never used PEDs and never wavered from that stance.”

Braun released this 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 is 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.”