SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) — Miami Marlins reliever Leo Nunez has apologised for using a fake name and age, saying he falsified his identify when he was young so he could play professional baseball.

Nunez says in an interview with The Associated Press that “it was a mistake” and has apologised to his fans, the Marlins and U.S. government. His real name is Juan Carlos Oviedo and he’s 29, a year older than listed in the Marlins’ media guide.

He spoke to the AP in the Dominican Republic on Friday, a day after he was arrested on a charge of using a false identity and then released. Officials say he would not be prosecuted because he was cooperating with a larger investigation of fake documents.

In September, the Marlins placed him on baseball’s restricted list after Dominican authorities said he was implicated in the case.