MLB suspends Ryan Braun for rest of season

Brewers OF Ryan Braun is suspended for the rest of the 2013 season for admitted PED use. (Mike McGinnis/Getty Images)

Major League Baseball suspended Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Ryan Braun without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season for violations of the Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.

MLB had been investigating Braun and as many as 20 other major leaguers who reportedly received performance-enhancing drugs from a South Florida clinic. It was reported MLB was seeking to suspend those players after last week's All-Star Game.

The suspension takes place immediately and Braun will miss the final 65 games of the season, starting with the Brewers’ game Monday night against the San Diego Padres. The suspension will cost Braun, the 2011 National League MVP, about $3.5 million in salary. He is still owed $117 million by the team through the 2020 season.

"As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect. 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," Braun said in a statement. "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."