The face of the Milwaukee Brewers franchise won't be on the field for the remainder of the season.
Now the team has to look to other avenues to get the offense back on track when they continue a four-game series against the San Diego Padres at Miller Park.
Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun was suspended without pay by Major League Baseball for the remainder of the 2013 season for violations of the Basic Agreement and its Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Braun has accepted the penalty that was handed down on Monday.
"As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect," Braun said in a statement. "I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions. This situation has taken a toll on me and my entire family, and it is has been a distraction to my teammates and the Brewers organization.
"I am very grateful for the support I have received from players, ownership and the fans in Milwaukee and around the country. Finally, I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed -- all of the baseball fans especially those in Milwaukee, the great Brewers organization, and my teammates. I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love."
Braun had a 50-game suspension overturned in February 2012. He tested positive for elevated testosterone levels the previous October, but won the appeal of that test when he challenged the chain of command protocols regarding how the samples were stored.
Recently, Braun and other professional baseball players, including Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, have been linked to the Biogenesis of America clinic that allegedly provided performance-enhancing drugs to the players.
Braun had insisted throughout both cases that he was innocent of using performance-enhancing drugs, but he finally came clean.
On the field, the Brewers were beaten 5-3 last night. Jesus Guzman went 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI and Carlos Quentin drove in two runs for San Diego.
The Padres rallied with four runs in the sixth inning to win for just the second time in their last 14 games on the road. They also snapped Milwaukee's four-game winning streak.
Andrew Cashner (6-5) gave up three runs over six innings to pick up his first win since June 11 against the Braves. Huston Street threw a 1-2-3 ninth to notch his 17th save to open this four-game series.
Jean Segura had two RBI and Jonathan Lucroy drove in the other run for the Brewers, who saw Tom Gorzelanny (1-4) surrender all five runs over 5 2/3 innings.
A pair of pitchers meet tonight trying for their first victories of the season.
San Diego right-hander Tyson Ross, who makes his fourth start and 23rd appearance of the season, will be recalled from Triple-A Tucson. It'll mark his first start since April 17.
Donovan Hand, who goes for his first major league win, has made his last three appearance in relief. This will be the right-hander's first start since July 4 at Washington. He is 0-1 with a 3.07 ERA in his three starts.
The Brewers won two of three from the Padres when the teams met for a three- game series in California in April.
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