Phillies pitcher José Alvarado issued a statement on Tuesday for the first time since he was suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games after testing positive for exogenous testosterone, a performance-enhancing drug. Alvarado offered his “deepest apologies” to the organization, his teammates, his family, his home country of Venezuela, the city of Philadelphia and his fans for his “mistake.”
“I am fully aware that using a prohibited substance is wrong and I would never intend to do so because I have always had great respect for the game, my organization, my teammates and the fans, all of whom I want to offer my sincere apologies,” Alvarado said within his statement, which was released in both English and Spanish on his personal Instagram page.