Dodgers RHP Josh Ravin suspended 80 games for positive PED test

LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers pitcher Josh Ravin is having a terrible 2016 season in many respects. On Monday, a mistake he made extended that nightmare a little longer. Ravin was suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance.

Ravin is currently on the 60-day disabled list after suffering a broken left forearm in a car accident during spring training. His suspension starts immediately.

The drug in question for Ravin was Growth Hormone Releasing Peptide 2 (GHRP-2), something he says he took during spring training to help recover from dropping a lot of weight with the flu.

"During 2016 spring training, I came down with a severe case of intestinal flu and strep throat. I was put on antibiotics and lost a total of 20 pounds in less than seven days. To try and speed up my recovery, I took some supplements that I thought would help," Ravin said in a statement released by the MLB Players Association. "Unfortunately, I was not as careful as I should have been and one of the supplements contained a banned substance.

"I later learned that the substance showed up in a regular drug test done of me during 2016 spring training. This has been a very painful lesson for me. I have always tried to avoid doing anything in violation of the system and I take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions and my bad judgment. So, I have decided to accept the suspension and continue my ultimate goal to be able to pitch again in the major leagues."

Ravin could have easily been optioned to the minors at the end of spring training, but that he is on the 60-day disabled list was more a procedural move that allowed the Dodgers an extra spot on the 40-man roster. The benefit to Ravin during that period was collecting a major league salary, a pro-rated share of $515,000, rather than a minor league salary, as well as collecting major league service time.

During the suspension Ravin will continue to earn service time, because the MLBPA is powerful, but he will not be paid, potentially losing approximately $225,137.

"We are disappointed to hear that Josh has violated Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," the Dodgers said in a statement. "The Dodgers fully support MLB's policy toward eliminating performance enhancing substances from the sport and, as per the Joint Drug Program, we will have no further comment on this suspension."

Ravin, a graduate of nearby Chatsworth High School, made his major league debut in 2015 with the Dodgers, his hometown team, after nearly a full decade in the minors. He put up a 6.75 ERA in nine major league games, with 12 strikeouts and four walks in 9⅓ innings.

The earliest date Ravin can be reinstated is Wednesday, Aug. 3.