A source familiar with the Biogenesis investigation tells HardballTalk that Major League Baseball plans to interview all of the players implicated in the Biogenesis scandal by the end of June. Then, at that point, it will make a decision on whether to pursue discipline and how. The plan is for discipline to be leveled — if it is, indeed, leveled — by the first week of July. Pursuant to the Joint Drug Agreement players will then have the right to appeal if discipline is imposed.
This information confirms ESPN’s Outside the Lines report from last night that Major League Baseball’s investigation of Biogenesis is proceeding. However, any speculation that Major League Baseball has already decided to discipline the players implicated in the Biogenesis scandal or that it has already decided to impose any specific penalties, be they 50- or 100-game suspensions, was premature. The league’s investigation is being assisted by clinic founder Tony Bosch, the source confirmed.
When contacted by HardballTalk, Major League Baseball officials did not comment on the story.
Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees, 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers and Melky Cabrera of the Toronto Blue Jays - who received a 50-game suspension last season for the use of PEDs - are among the 20 players reportedly being targeted by MLB.
Braun issued a stern denial this morning, while Cabrera told USA Today Sports: “I don’t know anything about it. This is the first I hear of it. If they suspend me again, I think that would be a harsh punishment because I already served my sentence. But it’s up to them.”
Rodriguez, once considered a threat to break the sport’s all-time home run record, admitted to ESPN four years ago that he used performance-enhancing drugs earlier in his career, when he played for the Texas Rangers.