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Colabello, who enjoyed a breakout 2015 season with the Blue
Jays, said the phone call he got in mid-March informing him that
a banned substance was found in his urine was the "scariest" of
his life and that he cannot explain the positive test.
"I have spent every waking moment since that day trying to find
an answer as to why or how," Colabello said in a statement
released by the MLB Players Association.
"The only thing I know is that I would never compromise the
integrity of the game of baseball. I love this game too much! I
care too deeply about it."
Colabello, who had a 0.69 batting average in 10 games this
season, tested positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone,
which is in violation of MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and
Treatment Program.
The suspension will force him to miss nearly half of the
162-game regular season.
Colabello, 32, was a late bloomer who spent seven years in the
independent Canadian-American League without any clear path to
the big leagues before finally gaining their attention and
earning a contract.
He made his major league debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2013
but blossomed last season with the Blue Jays when he belted 15
home runs with 54 runs batted in and a .321 batting average in
part-time duty.
"I hope that before anyone passes judgment on me they can take a
look at the man that I am, and everything that I have done to
get to where I am in my career," said Colabello.
The Blue Jays called the Colabello situation unfortunate but
also said it fully endorsed MLB's drug testing policy.
"Chris has overcome a great deal in his career and has been a
key contributor to this team," Blue Jays General Manager Ross
Atkins said in a statement.
"While we are certainly disappointed with today’s news, we’re
confident he’ll return ready to compete and will have taken the
steps needed to ensure that this does not happen again.
(Editing by Larry Fine)
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