Free-agent pitcher Carlos Martinez has received an 80-game suspension without pay after testing positive for Ibutamoren, a performance-enhancing substance, Major League Baseball announced on Friday.
The announcement of Martinez’s suspension comes on the heels of his release from the Red Sox, where he made two appearances for Triple-A Worcester and gave up 10 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings pitched.
The suspension is the latest setback in a troubling last few seasons for Martinez. Injuries caught up to the former Cardinals star, who was bumped to a bullpen role in 2019, and missed a good bit of the 2020 campaign due to COVID-19 and an oblique strain.