Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners has been suspended for 80 games after testing positive for Furosemide, a diuretic.

Cano said he would accept the suspension but said taking the drug was inadvertent.

“This substance was given to me by a licensed doctor in the Dominican Republic to treat a medical ailment,” he said in a statement. “While I did not realize at the time that I was given a medication that was banned, I obviously now wish that I had been more careful.

“I would never do anything to cheat the rules of the game I love,” he said.

Cano, 35, did not specify what ailment was being treated by Furosemide.

Furosemide, which is sold under the brand name Lasix, and other diuretics are not in and of themselves performance-enhancing products. But they can be used to flush out the system and mask the presence of other drugs. Lasix is also commonly used to prevent bleeding in racehorses.

According to baseball’s drug rules, “The presence of a diuretic or masking agent in a player’s urine specimen shall be treated as a positive test result if the IPA determines that the player intended to avoid detection of his use of another prohibited substance.” IPA stands for “independent program administrator.”

Cano, a Dominican native, starred with the New York Yankees at second base from 2005 to 2013, winning the World Series in 2009. He headed to Seattle in free agency, signing a 10-year deal worth $240 million. A consistently strong hitter, he has eight All-Star selections, a .304 lifetime average and 305 career home runs.

— The New York Times