Braun’s problem is that MLB doesn’t care why or how you took a banned substance. The only thing that matters is that you took it. Ignorance of ingesting a banned substance is no defense and will not get a suspension overturned. Braun can prove what he took was not technically a performance-enhancing drug, which is what he immediately claimed to me, but it won’t matter if it’s a banned substance under the MLB Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
This is why the MLB official familiar with the process told me [Tom Haudricourt] that he doesn’t anticipate Braun getting the suspension overturned. He might save face somewhat by making all of the details public but the Brewers already are preparing for the likelihood that Braun will miss the first 50 games of the season.