Toronto Blue Jays infielder Orelvis Martinez was suspended 80 games Sunday for violating Major League Baseball’s performance-enhancing drug policy, just two days after his big league debut.

Martinez, 22, is the Blue Jays’ top hitting prospect and was called up last week after shortstop Bo Bichette was placed on the injured list. Martinez tested positive for clomiphene, a fertility drug on the league’s banned substance list.

In a statement, Martinez said he had spent the past two years trying to start a family with his girlfriend and was prescribed Rejun 50, a clomiphene tablet, over the winter after visiting a fertility clinic in his native Dominican Republic.

“We wanted to keep this matter private, even within our family, and trusted the doctor who assured us this treatment did not include performance-enhancing drugs,” Martinez said in the statement. “Therefore, I made the mistake of not disclosing this to my team or the MLBPA.

“With that said, I took full responsibility for my negligence and accepted my suspension.”

Martinez signed with the Blue Jays for $3.5 million in 2018 and emerged as one of the best power-hitting prospects in the minor leagues. Before his debut, in which he played second base and went 1-for-3, Martinez had hit 16 home runs in 63 games at Triple-A. Over the three previous seasons, he hit 86 home runs and drove in 257 runs.

“We were both surprised and disappointed to learn of Orelvis Martinez’s suspension,” Blue Jays executive vice president and general manager Ross Atkins said in a statement. “We will do everything in our power to ensure Orelvis has learned from his mistake.

“Orelvis has our support, and we know he will get through this.”

Martinez will be eligible to return to the team in September.

“Orelvis was upset, disappointed and pretty honest for a young kid when he told us,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said Sunday. “He’s obviously humbled and knows he made a mistake. We’re going to support him through the process.”

Martínez will lose about half his salary. His contract calls for $740,000 while in the major leagues and $120,600 while in the minors, both the minimum.

At 35-41, Toronto occupies last place in the American League East. The Blue Jays rank 27th in the majors in runs scored (291) and could consider dealing away top players as the July 30 trade deadline approaches.

Martínez became the eighth player penalized for performance-enhancing drugs this year, the second under the major league program. Noelvi Marte, a 22-year-old infielder who is the Cincinnati Reds‘ top prospect, was suspended for the first 80 games of the season under the major league program following a positive test for Boldenone.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Pittsburgh Pirates closer David Bednar was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday due to a strained left oblique muscle.

The move is retroactive to Thursday for the right-hander.

Also on Sunday, left-hander Justin Bruihl was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Bednar, 29, is 3-3 with 16 saves and a 5.17 ERA in 34 relief appearances. He had a National League-leading 39 saves in 2023.

A two-time All-Star, Bednar is 12-13 with 77 saves and a 3.00 ERA in 223 career relief appearances with the San Diego Padres and Pirates.

Bruihl, 26, has a 6.75 ERA without a decision in six relief appearances this season for Pittsburgh. He is 2-2 with a 4.40 ERA in 78 career appearances (two starts) with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Colorado Rockies and Pirates.

NEW YORK — Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton went on the injured list for the eighth time in six seasons Sunday, a day after straining his left hamstring.

A 34-year-old former MVP, Stanton left Saturday night’s 8-3 win over the Atlanta Braves and was scheduled to undergo imaging Sunday. Stanton doubled off the center-field wall in the fourth inning and winced when he rounded third base on Gleyber Torres‘ double. Trent Grisham pinch hit for Stanton leading off the sixth.

Stanton missed 266 of 708 games (38%) over the past five seasons.

He appeared to be walking gingerly as he exited the locker room Saturday night.

“Obviously he’s dealt with these kind of things in the past,” manager Aaron Boone said. “So hopefully it’s not something that keeps him down too long.”

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had said Nov. 13 at the annual GM meetings: “He’s going to wind up getting hurt again more likely than not because it seems to be part of his game.”

When a visibly slimmer Stanton reported to spring training, he said succinctly: “He knows my reaction to that.”

Stanton played in 69 of the Yankees’ first 79 games this season — none in the field — and is hitting .246 with 18 homers and 45 RBIs. The active leader in home runs with 420, he is in the midst of his healthiest season with the Yankees since he played in 158 games in 2018, his first after he was acquired from the Miami Marlins.

He missed 266 games the previous five seasons due to a strained right biceps and strained posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee (2019), strained left hamstring (2020), strained left quadriceps (2021), right ankle inflammation and left Achilles tendinitis (2022) and a strained left hamstring (2023).

“He’s been such a force for this offense,” said Aaron Judge, who hit his major-league-leading 28th homer in the first inning. “Hitting the homers, coming up clutch with guys on base — that’s a big part of his game. Hopefully we get some good news.”

In a corresponding roster move, the Yankees recalled infielder Oswald Peraza from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

New York, which began Sunday a big league best 52-27, had been relatively healthy early in the season. Infielder DJ LeMahieu didn’t make his season debut until May 28 after breaking his right foot on a foul ball during spring training on March 16, and American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole didn’t make his first start until June 19 because of right elbow nerve inflammation and edema.

Right-hander Clarke Schmidt went on the IL on May 27 because of a right lat strain, and first baseman Anthony Rizzo broke his right forearm in a collision at Fenway Park on June 16.