Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that Milwaukee Brewers catcher Pedro Severino has received an 80-game suspension after testing positive for clomiphene, a fertility treatment classified as a performance-enhancing substance under MLB’s drug policy.

The 28-year-old Severino announced in a statement released by the MLB Players Association that he would not appeal the decision, saying he unknowingly ingested clomiphene — a substance used in fertility treatment that has been known to stimulate testosterone production — after he and his wife began infertility treatments.  Said Severino: “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.”

Severino is in his first year with the Brewers after signing a one-year, $1.9-million deal that included an incentives bonus of up to $400,000. He started his career with the Nationals; and in 2019, he was put on waivers and claimed by the Orioles, where he remained for over three seasons.

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