Disgraced Ramirez in brief meeting with team mates

Los Angeles Dodgers Manny Ramirez looks on during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Glendale, Arizona, March 13, 2009.

MIAMI (Reuters) - Disgraced Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Manny Ramirez finally met his team mates face-to-face before the start of Friday's game against the Florida Marlins.

A 12-times All-Star player, Ramirez had kept a low profile since Major League Baseball suspended him last week for 50 games after testing positive for a banned drug.

Having been pressured by Dodgers officials to speak to his team mates, the 36-year-old held a brief meeting with manager Joe Torre, around 12 players and coaching staff at their Miami hotel.

"He's sorry, remorseful," outfielder Andre Ethier told the team's official website (losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com).

Last week Dodgers owner Frank McCourt met Ramirez face-to-face and urged him to talk to his team mates in person.

"He needs to take responsibility publicly, speaking directly about this and being truly remorseful," McCourt said. "If he does that I think we've handled something very well.

"The Dodgers are much bigger than Manny Ramirez or any player."

The power-hitting outfielder, who had helped the National League Dodgers post a 21-8 record this season, is eligible to return from his ban on July 3 against the Padres in San Diego.

(Writing by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles, editing by Tony Jimenez)