Friday could be Doomsday in Major League Baseball, with the commissioner’s office reportedly nearly ready to hand down another round of suspensions related to its Biogenesis investigation, but Biogenesis’ reach could be much further than just a bunch of highly paid athletes. EPSN reported Thursday that the the FDA has begun its own investigation into the now-defunct Miami anti-aging clinic.
The sudden interest from the Feds stems from an earlier “Outside the Lines” report that said Biogenesis founder Tony Bosch, who is not a licensed physician, provided 10 high school athletes with prescription drugs for uses not approved by the FDA.
The government’s investigation is being led by Jeff Novitzky, who in a way is a different kind of PED expert. He ran the FDA’s exploration of the BALCO case, as well as its probings of Roger Clemens and Lance Armstrong. According to the ESPN report, Novitzky is looking to speak with former Biogenesis employee Porter Fischer.
The New York Daily News reports that the FDA’s involvement could complicate matters for Yankees star Alex Rodriguez. Rodriguez, who could be facing a lifetime ban from baseball, is said to be debating whether or not to to a plea deal similar the one the Brewers’ Ryan Braun did.
If MLB was to drop the hammer and give him the ban, A-Rod would be expected to appeal. Anything he says under oath to the arbiter during the appeals process, however, could be used against him should the government want to talk to use him as witness for its own investigation ‘ just as Barry Bonds and others did in the BALCO case 10 years ago.
“I think it’s devastating for Alex,’ a source familiar with MLB’s investigation told the Daily News. ‘He would be under oath in an arbitration, and all the evidence baseball has on him would be available to prosecutors.
“With this going on, you’d think he’s got to settle.”
