In a statement, Ravin claimed his positive test was caused by supplements he took after dealing with illnesses during spring training.
"During 2016 spring training, I came down with a severe case of intestinal flu and strep throat. I was put on antibiotics and lost a total of 20 pounds in less than seven days," Ravin said Monday in a statement. "To try and speed up my recovery, I took some supplements that I thought would help. Unfortunately, I was not as careful as I should have been and one of the supplements contained a banned substance.
"I later learned that the substance showed up in a regular drug test done of me during 2016 spring training. This has been a very painful lesson for me. I have always tried to avoid doing anything in violation of the system and I take full responsibility for the consequences of my actions and my bad judgment. So, I have decided to accept the suspension and continue my ultimate goal to be able to pitch again in the major leagues."
Another case where a nutritional supplement gets a guy in trouble. This is not "cheating" it's "sloppiness or poor attention to details". This is where banned substances should require prescriptions and not be compounds that supplement manufacturers can procure.