NEW YORK -- Major League Baseball Players Association General Counsel, Michael Weiner, today released the following statement in response to initial media reports on the suspension of J.C. Romero.

"Some press stories have stated that the Association advised players that the particular supplement J.C. took was safe. Others have suggested that the Association knew, in advance of the positive tests, that this supplement contained a banned substance. Neither is accurate. The Association knew nothing about the particular supplements involved here prior to learning of these positive results.

"There also has been a suggestion in some reports that the MLBPA misled its members about the potential dangers of nutritional supplements. That suggestion, too, is not accurate. We have and will continue to do our utmost to counsel players with regard to compliance with our Program.

"As indicated in my previous statement, the Association believes the Commissioner's suspension of J.C. is unwarranted. In addition, we believe that the arbitrator's decision upholding that suspension, based on his reading of the particular facts of this case, is unfair. In our view, J.C. is being unfairly punished because a supplement he purchased in a retail store contained a minute trace of a banned substance.”