Major League Baseball’s latest performance-enhancing drug scandal has claimed another victim — one who’s faced down allegations before.
On Tuesday, Yahoo! Sports reported that Milwaukee Brewers slugger and former MVP Ryan Braun had been named in documents connected to the Miami Biogenesis clinic. One week ago the clinic was revealed to be the target of a Miami New Times investigation which alleged that it had the now-closed anti-aging clinic had distributed PEDs to, among others, Alex Rodriguez and Melky Cabrera.
Unlike the other implicated players, Braun’s name on documents does not show up associated with any specific PED. The Miami New Times, by contrast, uncovered documents which very clearly point towards the use of specific PEDs among those players.
Braun, who beat a PED-related suspension handed down by Major League Baseball on an appeal a year ago, quickly released a statement denying any wrongdoing.
“During the course of preparing for my successful appeal last year, my attorneys, who were previously familiar with Tony Bosch, used him as a consultant. More specifically, he answered questions about T/E ratio and possibilities of tampering with samples.
“There was a dispute over compensation for Bosch’s work, which is what my lawyer and I listed under ‘moneys owed’ and not on any other list.
“I have nothing to hide and have never had any other relationship with Bosch.
“I will fully cooperate with any inquiry into this matter.”
MLB is currently investigating the clinic and its proprietor, Tony Bosch, looking for any and all remaining documents to determine the extent to which Bosch distributed PEDs in baseball. Bosch and the players previously involved have, like Braun, all issued denials.
Photo via Flickr/Steve Paluch
