Report: A-Rod Purchased HGH Last Season
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez is currently on the shelf, possibly for the entire season, as he recovers from another hip surgery. But A-Rod's name is very prominent in a new report from the Miami New Times detailing how a Miami clinic allegedly supplied drugs to players. The New Times report analyzes a batch of patient records given to them by an employee who worked at a company called Biogenesis, which was run by Anthony Bosch, 49.
According to the New Times report, players including A-Rod, San Francisco Giants player Melky Cabrera, Washington Nationals pitcher Gio Gonzalez, and Padres catcher Yasmani Grandal were all named in the records.
To read the New Times report in its entirety, click here.
The report details what the New Times calls "the East Coast version of BALCO" which is the lab that eventually ensnared baseball stars like Jason Giambi and Barry Bonds along with other pro athletes.
According to the New Times, A-Rod paid Bosch $3,500 and received what the records detailed as "1.5/1.5 HGH (sports perf) creams test., glut, MIC, supplement, sports perf. Diet."
The New Times report found evidence it claimed kept A-Rod's name receiving inventory through last season, which would be completely contradictory to everything A-Rod has claimed on the steroids issue if true.
A-Rod's public relations team released a statement Tuesday afternoon that said: "The news report about a purported relationship between Alex Rodriguez and Anthony Bosch are not true. Alex Rodriguez was not Mr. Bosch's patient, he never treated by him and he was never advised by him. The purported documents referenced in the story -- at least as they relate to Alex Rodriguez -- are not legitimate."
A-Rod in the past has admitted to taking steroids for only a short period of time from 2001-2003, saying in an interview with ESPN, "I stopped taking it in '03 and haven't taken it since."
Major League Baseball said it is "extremely disappointed" about the new allegations of performance-enhancing drug use against Alex Rodriguez.
"We are always extremely disappointed to learn of potential links between players and the use of performance-enhancing substances...Through our Department of Investigations, we have been actively involved in the issues in South Florida," MLB said in a statement.
Rodriguez has not played a full season with the Yankees since 2007 and had his second lowest batting average in his career last season while playing just 122 games before going on the disabled list. A-Rod hasn't hit more than 30 home runs since 2008.
The Yankees owe Rodriguez upwards of $114 million over the next five seasons. When his contract with the Yankees ends, A-Rod will be 41-years-old.
The Yankees said in a statement that the matter "is now in the hands of the Commissioner's Office. We will have no further comment until that investigation has concluded."
According to USA Today, Rodriguez could face a suspension under baseball's drug policy based on the New Times report.
Gonzalez, who had never been mentioned before with a performance-enhancing drug report, took to Twitter to defend himself.
"I've never used performance enhancing drugs of any kind and I never will, I've never spoke with tony Bosch or used any substance..provided by him. Anything said to the contrary is a lie," Gonzalez wrote in a series of tweets.
Late Tuesday, Bosch's attorney, Susy Ribero-Ayala denied the allegations against her client in a statement to Businesswire. It reads: "The Miami New Times Story dated January 29, 2013 is filled with inaccuracies, innuendo and misstatements of fact. Mr. Bosch vehemently denies the assertions that MLB players such as Alex Rodriguez and Gio Gonzalez were treated by or associated with him."
