BOSTON — Another day, another denial.
Alex Rodriguez says the most recent accusations against him connected to the Biogenesis scandal are not true. This time, though, Rodriguez went one step further: He warned reporters Friday night that the latest story — which he says is months old — is just the first of what he expects to be a very long rest of the season.
“Obviously, a very tough situation,” he said. “I’m not surprised. I think they reported this about four months ago. … Let’s make one thing clear: The next seven weeks is going to be a very, very bumpy road, every day.
“I expect a story like this to happen every day.”
The most recent accusation is a 60 Minutes report that implicates Rodriguez’s “inner circle” of leaking information about teammate Francisco Cervelli and Brewers slugger Ryan Braun to the Biogenesis clinic, which was at the center of a Major League Baseball investigation. While MLB was already investigating Rodriguez, the report says the league wasn’t tipped off to Cervelli and Braun until Rodriguez’s group provided information.
“It’s not true,” Rodriguez said Friday. “I spoke to Cervelli this morning. … He understands it’s not true.”
Rodriguez said he was surprised when he first heard the accusation “four months ago,” but not when the story came out this time. Braun has been suspended 65 games by MLB, and Cervelli is serving a 50-game suspension.
Rodriguez said he was especially bothered that he’s being accused of implicating a teammate.
“Absolutely,” he said. “We had that conversation, and he understands completely that it’s not true. You know, I’ve been a member of this union for 20 years, and it’s important for him to know that — for all the guys to know that … it didn’t happen.”
Rodriguez also said the reason he won’t talk about the investigation further is because his own appeal, of a 211-game suspension, has to go through the appeal process. He said he would talk about all the accusations “at the time that’s appropriate, which is not now.”
Rodriguez said he has not spoken with Braun.
