Major League Baseball Investigates Report of Performance-Enhancing Drug Sales

Major League Baseball (MLB) has announced it is investigating claims that several high-profile players were sold performance-enhancing drugs by a clinic in South Florida, according to Reuters.

The Miami New Times reported several players had allegedly been sold human growth hormone, testosterone and anabolic steroids. The newspaper said a former employee of the clinic had handwritten medical records showing links between players and banned drugs.

Two of the players, Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees and Gio Gonzalez of the Washington Nationals, have denied the allegations, Reuters notes. Texas Rangers’ Nelson Cruz was also named in the article.

In a statement, MLB said, “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.”

Earlier this month, MLB and its players union announced they had reached an agreement to conduct in-season blood testing of players for human growth hormone. Players will also be tested for synthetic testosterone, which is increasingly popular because it washes out of the body fairly quickly after being used.