Giants’ Melky Cabrera is suspended 50 games for testosterone

San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera has been suspended 50 games without pay after testing positive for testosterone, Major League Baseball said Wednesday.

According to the commissioner’s office, Cabrera violated the league’s joint drug prevention and treatment program by testing positive for the banned substance and his suspension will begin immediately.

“My positive test was the result of my use of a substance I should not have used,” Cabrera said in a statement released by the players’ union. “I accept my suspension under the Joint Drug Program and I will try to move on with my life. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and I apologize to my teammates, to the San Francisco Giants organization and to the fans for letting them down.”

The 50-game suspension comes at a bad time for the Giants, who are tied with the Dodgers at the top of the National League West standings with 45 games remaining. Now they will head down the stretch without their leader in batting average (.346) and hits (159).

“We were extremely disappointed to learn of the suspension of Melky Cabrera for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention & Treatment Program,” the Giants said in a statement. “We fully support Major League Baseball’s policy and its efforts to eliminate performance enhancing drugs from our game. Per the protocol outline by Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement, the Giants will not comment further on this matter.”

Cabrera leads the majors in overall hits and is second in batting average. The MVP of the All-Star game last month, Cabrera has 11 home runs and 60 RBIs in his first season with San Francisco.

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