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Nelson Cruz stood up in Texas clubhouse and apologized to the Rangers, telling them why he accepted a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball rather than appeal and try to stay on the field now. "Its disappointing, but at the same time, we all love Nelson, and were going to support him through this," second baseman Ian Kinsler said. "Hes serving the suspension like he should, and were going to help him go on with this." While teammates wouldnt discuss specifically what Cruz told them, they uniformly expressed support for their top slugger who will miss the rest of the regular season for the playoff-contending Rangers. Cruz was among 13 players disciplined Monday by Major League Baseball for their relationship to Biogenesis of America, a closed anti-aging clinic in Florida accused of distributing banned performing-enhancing drugs. The All-Star right fielder didnt speak publicly, but acknowledged in a statement that he made "an error in judgment" in the wake of a gastrointestinal infection from November 2011 through January 2012. He said the illness wasnt properly diagnosed at first and he lost 40 pounds before getting proper treatment. "Just weeks before I was to report to spring training in 2012, I was unsure whether I would be physically able to play," Cruz said. "Faced with this situation, I made an error in judgment that I deeply regret, and I accept full responsibility for that error. I should have handled the situation differently, and my illness was no excuse." He provided no other specifics, including what he might have taken. That happened around the same time the Rangers were fresh off their second consecutive World Series appearance, and Cruz signed a $16 million, two-year contract to avoid salary arbitration. He was MVP of the 2011 AL championship series. The 50-game suspension corresponds with the last 50 games of the regular season for Texas, which is trying to get into the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. The 33-year-old Cruz, who can be a free agent after this season, would be eligible to play in the post-season if the Rangers make it. The suspension will cost Cruz $2,732,240 in salary for the rest of this season and the possibility of earning another $500,000 in potential performance bonuses based on plate appearances that are no longer attainable. General manager Jon Daniels said the team would be "open-minded" to Cruz returning for the playoffs. "Assuming that theres no other information that were not yet aware of and if his teammates welcome him back, and Nellie handles this well, which I expect he probably will, then were open to it," Daniels said. Manager Ron Washington said Cruz would "unequivocally" be accepted back for the playoffs by his teammates. "Thats the love weve got in that clubhouse," said Washington, who described the day as emotional. "That dont mean that theyve accepted it, but I wouldnt expect anything else." Cruz is batting .269 with a team-high 27 home runs and 76 RBIs in 108 games this season. He homered three times in his last seven games, when the Rangers went 6-1 to cut their deficit behind AL West-leading Oakland from six games to 2 1/2 games. "It goes without saying were not going to replace Nelsons production with any one player, whether thats internally or via a trade," Daniels said on a conference call. "Were going to be creative" Daniels also reiterated a statement issued earlier by the team expressing its disappointment in Cruz for violating MLBs drug policy and its full support of "efforts to eliminate performance-enhancing substances from our game." The non-waiver trade deadline passed last week without the Rangers being able to add a right-handed hitter to potentially help fill his absence. The Rangers recalled outfielder Engel Beltre from Triple-A Round Rock and selected the contract of outfielder Joey Butler from the same team. They also designated infielder Adam Rosales for assignment, three days after adding him on a waiver claim from Oakland. David Murphy took Cruzs regular spot in right field Monday night in the series opener against the Los Angeles Angels. Washington is considering a four-person platoon to fill the outfield -- with Beltre and Murphy in against right-handed pitchers, while Gentry and Butler, who is looking to make his major league debut, would play against lefties. Cruz had never been linked to performance-ending drugs before he was among the players targeted by MLB in a scandal that started last January with a Miami New Times story about Biogenesis. After his name showed up in that report, attorneys for Cruz issued a statement denying the allegations. When Cruz arrived at spring training in February he said it was "shocking" and "depressing" to have his name connected with Biogenesis. In his statement Monday, Cruz expressed thanks "for the unwavering support of my family, friends, and teammates during this difficult time. I look forward to regaining the trust and respect of the Rangers organization, my teammates, and the great Rangers fans, and I am grateful for the opportunity to rejoin the team for the playoffs." Cruz has replaced agents Sam and Seth Levinson with Adam Katz, the representative Daniels said contacted him Sunday night with the players decision to accept the penalty. The Rangers got Cruz in a six-player deal with Carlos Lee from Milwaukee in July 2006. Cruzs first full major league season was 2009, when he was an All-Star and hit a career-high 33 homers. "Its sad. You obviously didnt expect anything like that to happen, but nobody is perfect," said Derek Holland, the teams union rep. "Everybody makes a mistake, and once he gets back, well be waiting for him. Weve just got to take care of what weve got to do now, and thats go get the West." Rajon Rondo Jersey . 8 Kansas to a 64-63 win over Texas Tech on Tuesday night. The freshman from Vaughan, Ont. Tom Heinsohn Jersey . -- Stanfords Kevin Danser knelt on one knee and hardly moved on the sideline as Michigan State celebrated its Rose Bowl victory and his Cardinal teammates made their way to the locker room. https://www.cheapceltics.com/ . John Tavares, Thomas Vanek and Kyle Okposo were also being counted on to slow down sizzling Rangers forward Rick Nash. That plan didnt go so well early. Marcus Smart Jersey . Their 38th instalment is arguably their biggest fight card to date, including three-title fights and a main event which was selected by the fans. 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I didnt want to do anything where I wasnt going to be able to give it my full attention or focus." Fast-forward six months and Moore is ready to resume his career after signing a one-year, US$1-million deal with the New York Rangers. Moore hopes he can re-establish himself as an NHL regular and also use that stage to promote the Katie Moore Foundation and other charitable efforts. "I think Dom is a 100-per-center. If he does something, hes a 100-per-cent committed. I dont think he wouldve been a 100 per cent committed to playing hockey at that time," former Tampa Bay Lightning teammate and friend Marty St. Louis said in an interview Monday. "Im so glad that hes back playing next year." Moore, who has been able to work out and train aggressively in recent months, could fill a third- or fourth-line role with the Rangers, but he could have greater impact off the ice. And thats before the 2013-14 season even begins. Moore is hosting the second "Smashfest Charity Ping-Pong Challenge" July 25 in Toronto to raise money for the Katie Moore Foundation and some brain-injury and concussion-research groups. St. Louis, Logan Couture of the San Jose Sharks, Joel Ward of the Washington Capitals, George Parros of the Montreal Canadiens and David Clarkson of the Toronto Maple Leafs are among the current players set to take part, in addition to former players like Eric Lindros, Mathieu Schneider and Kevin Weekes. Its a ping-pong event because, Moore said, theres a table in every NHL locker-room and its a major part of NHL players culture. Several players from the Toronto area and beyond will be there because thats what a fraternity like this does. "The support through the hockey world is great,," Moore said.dddddddddddd"Situations like this come up, you see how people come together to support each other, and Im grateful for that." When Moore first got involved in charitable endeavours, it was with the hope of raising money and awareness for concussion research. His brother Steves career ended after he suffered a concussion and neck injury when Todd Bertuzzi violently attacked him from behind in 2004. "The concussion stuff is obvious -- were hockey players," Moore said. "Obviously thats an important issue for the hockey world." Over the past five months, the Thornhill native has tried to jump-start the Katie Moore Foundation for a very specific cause. Katie died of fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma after a nine-month battle. "Its geared towards rare cancers," Moore said. "Obviously theres a lot of money thats been thrown around for cancer research and whatnot, but most of it goes to the big ones: breast cancer and lung cancer and things like that. There are a lot of people out there that are suffering from another rare disease. There a ton of these different less-common diseases that are not getting the attention or funding that maybe they could or should. Thats the intention behind what were doing." The focus of the Katie Moore Foundation is funding primarily non-traditional cancer-research projects in the Boston area, where Dominic and Katie met while at Harvard University. Itll be roughly nine months from the time Moore decided to take the lockout-shortened season off until he plays another game for the Rangers, the team that drafted him and gave him his NHL start. "The Rangers for a variety of reasons were my first choice. Im glad that came to fruition," Moore said. "It feels like coming home for me given thats where I started my career, and I always felt New York had a special place for me." That hes playing anywhere in the NHL next season is special for those in hockey who know Moore and tried to help however possible in the past year or so. "I love the way he plays the game, and I love what hes done away from the game," St. Louis said. "What hes gone through, to come back from that, playing hockey at the highest level again, Im looking forward to watching him play again." ' ' '