Indians’ Byrd suspended 162 games for PEDs

2:54 PM ET

Cleveland Indians outfielder Marlon Byrd has been suspended for 162 games by Major League Baseball after he tested positive for the growth hormone secretagogue Ipamorelin.

MLB said that the suspension is effective immediately.

Byrd, 38, had previously been suspended for PEDs in 2012, when he was a free agent after being released by the Boston Red Sox. He received a 50-game suspension after testing positive for Tamoxifen.

In a statement accepting his suspension, Byrd said Wednesday that, in 2012, he was was using Tamoxifen “on the advice of a physician for a medical condition resulting from surgery, and I accepted my suspension without challenge.”

“Since that time, I have paid close attention to the substances that are banned by the Joint Drug Agreement, as I had no intention of taking any banned substances. I relied upon a medical professional for assistance and advice with respect to the supplements that I was taking. However, certain supplements I was taking were not on the NSF Certified for Sport list, and therefore, I assumed certain risks in taking them.

“When I learned that I …

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