Major League Baseball will seek drug suspensions for about 20 players, including Most Valuable Players Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, because of their connections to a Miami-area clinic which offered injections of performance-enhancing drugs, ESPN reported. Tony Bosch, founder of the Biogenesis of America LLC clinic, reached an agreement this week to cooperate with investigators, citing two unidentified people familiar with the case.
MLB may seek 100 game suspensions, the penalty for a second doping offense since the players' connection to Bosch is one offense and previous statements to league officials denying any such connection or the use of banned substances would be a second offense, ESPN also said.
Spokesman Pat Courtney said in an email that MLB had no comment on the ESPN report " as we are in the midst of an active investigation."
Michael Weiner, the executive director for the MLB Players Association added, "they are in the process of interviewing players and every player has been or will be represented by an attorney from the players association. "The commissioner's office has assured us that no decisions regarding discipline have been made or will be made until those interviews are completed. It would be unfortunate if anyone prejudged those investigations."
MLB is suing Biogenesis for allegedly helping players obtain banned drugs and damaging the sport's reputation. The league's lawsuit said the clinic induced players to violate contractual obligations.
The Miami New Times reported in January that it obtained medical records from Biogenesis linking banned substances to players, many of whom are high-profiled players like the three-time MVP Rodriguez and Texas Rangers star Nelson Cruz. Rodriguez and Cruz have denied the allegations, and the Yankees star said that in February 2009 that he took banned substances from 2001-2003 when he was with the Rangers.
MLB investigators have had Biogenesis records listing about 20 players for more than a month, ESPN reported, and have been waiting for confirmation from Bosch that the documents are accurate. Bosch is expected to begin meeting with MLB officials within a week and suspensions could come within two weeks, the network said.
In regards to Rodriguez, 37, who ranks fifth for 647 career home runs, faces an uncertain future both with the Yankees, and for the rest of his career.
"It's in MLB's hands," Yankees manager Joe Girardi conceded in a televised news conference on Wednesday. "My focus is not on what MLB is investigating. I don't want to get caught up in that because they're going to handle it. Alex is in Tampa getting ready and that's what we want him to do."
