Hit with a 162-game suspension from Major League Baseball, 38-year-old outfielder Marlon Byrd said he had no intention of taking any banned substances, especially given his previous suspension for banned substances. “I relied upon a medical professional for assistance and advice with respect to the supplements that I was taking,” Byrd wrote in a statement. “However, certain supplements I was taking were not on the NSF Certified for Sport list, and therefore, I assumed certain risks in taking them.”
The substance Byrd was banned for ingesting this time was Ipamorelin, the “most likely” source of which was like one of those “tainted supplements,” according the Byrd’s statement. Ipamorelin is not hard to acquire — a simple Internet search shows what’s presented as Ipamorelin for sale at multiple sites like AmericanScienceLabs.com — where 2mg is available for $17.99 with the disclaimer that “under no circumstance should this chemical be used for human consumption.” The site states that it sells the Ipamorelin “strictly for research purposes.” Byrd was suspended for 50 games in 2012 after testing positive for Tamoxifen.
