NEW YORK (JTA) — Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun won his appeal of his earlier positive test for performance-enhancing drugs.
The decision, announced Thursday, means that Braun — the reigning National League Most Valuable Player and the first Jewish player to earn that distinction in nearly five decades — will avoid a 50-game suspension.
Braun’s suspension was overturned by an an arbitrator in what is believed to be the first time a baseball player has successfully challenged a drug-related grievance. The decision reportedly resulted from a delay in transporting Braun’s urine sample to a testing facility.
In December, it was reported that Braun, the son of an Israeli-born father and Catholic mother, had tested positive for elevated testosterone levels. Braun denied using performance-enhacing drugs.
"I am very pleased and relieved by today’s decision," Braun said in a statement reported by news agencies. "It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation. We were able to get through this because I am innocent and the truth is on our side."
Rob Manfred, Major League Baseball’s vice president for labor relations, said his organization "vehemently disagrees with the decision."
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
