Major League Baseball says it has launched an investigation into allegations that a Miami clinic dubbed “the East Coast version of BALCO,” supplied performance enhancing drugs to several MLB players including Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera.
According to the Miami New Times report, the names of Rodriguez and Cabrera, as well as those of Gio Gonzalez, Bartolo Colon, Yasmani Grandal and Nelson Cruz were included on a batch of records obtained by the newspaper from anti-aging clinic Biogenesis.
The clinic closed over a month ago and its owner, 49-year-old Anthony Bosch, has disappeared.
The records — which were provided to the newspaper by a former employee of the clinic — show the firm’s actual business was providing performance-enhancing drugs including anabolic steroids, testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH).
players named in Miami New Times piece can be suspended if allegations check out. positive test not needed to suspend.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) January 29, 2013
The report could be particularly troubling for Rodriguez, since he claims that he only used performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-2003.
Biogenesis clinic records relating to Rodriguez show:
– In 2009 he paid $3,500 for: “1.5/1.5 HGH (sports perf.) creams test., glut., MIC, supplement, sports perf. Diet.”
– A regimen including: “Test. cream… troches prior to workout… and GHRP… IGF-1… pink cream.” (IGF-1 is a banned substance in MLB)
– A 2009 client list indicating Yuri Sucart paid $500 for HGH. Sucart is Rodriguez’s cousin and the man the Yankees star said provided him with his PEDs in the early 2000s.
– Mentions of Rodriguez in records begin in 2009 and continue through the 2012 season.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Rodriguez made the following statement, released on Twitter via Joel Sherman of the New York Post:
“Alex Rodriguez denies taking PEDs during the time frame described in the story. The purported documents referenced in the story — at least as they relate to Alex Rodriguez — are not legitimate.”
The statement also claims Rodriguez was never a patient of Bosch’s, was never treated by him and he was never advised by him.
As with Manny: There will be a time with Alex Rodriguez when the side stuff will outweigh the production, and NYY will want him to go away.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 29, 2013
As for Cabrera, the name of the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder appeared 14 times in company records, including a 2012 notebook entry from Bosch’s office under the heading: “Melkys/Mostro.”
In one 2012 entry Bosch wrote: “April 4th drop off, has enough meds until May 4… next visit deliver and infuse $9,000 to RPO and $900 exp. and charges. Call him for expense. Missing this mo. troches and pink cream.”
Cabrera was suspended for 50 games by MLB last August after he tested positive for testosterone while playing for the San Francisco Giants. He signed a two-year, $16 million deal with the Blue Jays in November.
The New Times report says it sent detailed letters outlining the information they had received to the players through their respective teams.
None of the teams or players responded to the newspaper, but on Tuesday morning the Texas Rangers had the following to say regarding the allegations levied against Nelson Cruz:
Rangers statement says only that team was contacted by Miami New Times and that it then contacted MLB. No further comment at this time.
— Evan Grant (@Evan_P_Grant) January 29, 2013
On Tuesday morning, MLB issued the following statement:
“We are always extremely disappointed to learn of potential links between players and the use of performance-enhancing substances. These developments, however, provide evidence of the comprehensive nature of our anti-drug efforts. Through our Department of Investigations, we have been actively involved in the issues in South Florida.
“We are in the midst of an active investigation and are gathering and reviewing information. We will refrain from further comment until this process is complete.”
I’ve never used performance enhancing drugs of any kind and I never will ,I’ve never met or spoken with tony Bosch orused any substance
— Gio Gonzalez (@GioGonzalez47) January 29, 2013
