Rumors for drugs
Manny Ramirez officially reinstated by MLB
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Major League Baseball has officially reinstated Manny Ramirez from the voluntary retirement list, Buster Olney of ESPN reports. This move will allow Ramirez to play ball in 2012 should he sign with a team. However, he will still have to serve a 50-game suspension when placed on a team’s roster.
As recently as September of 2011, Ramirez indicated that he wanted to return to professional baseball.
Back in April the controversial Ramirez retired after being informed by MLB of an “Issue” regarding the Drug Prevention program. He was looking at a 100 game suspension at the moment because it was his second offense.
Image by Keith Allison under the Creative Commons License.
Ryan Braun tests positive for PEDs
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National League MVP Ryan Braun has tested positive for performance enhancing drugs, according to Yokal Sports. Braun faces a 50-game suspension if the finding is upheld.
A spokesman for Braun issued a statement Saturday: “There are highly unusual circumstances surrounding this case which will support Ryan’s complete innocence and demonstrate there was absolutely no intentional violation of the program. While Ryan has impeccable character and no previous history, unfortunately, because of the process we have to maintain confidentiality and are not able to discuss it any further, but we are confident he will ultimately be exonerated”
Braun was notified of a positive test in late October – about month before he was named National League MVP.
Image by Steve Paluch under the Creative Commons License.
Miguel Cabrera to undergo treatment
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27-year-old Miguel Cabrera arrived at Spring Training for the first time today. He was arrested last week on suspicion of driving under the influence and resisting an officer without violence, and according to The Associated Press, Cabrera will undergo treatment set up by doctors administered by management and its players’ union.
Cabrera also spoke with reporters and apologized for his actions.
“I am very sorry for what I have done,” Cabrera said through a translator. “I have worked hard for a period of time and I hope everyone forgives me. All I ask for is forgiveness.”
“I have it under control,” Cabrera said. “It was just a bad decision. I plan to continue with treatment. I made a mistake this time, and all I can do is continue treatment.”
The infielder is also set to speak with his teammates.
“There won’t be a big meeting,” Cabrera said. “I want to meet with everyone face to face over the next few days. I’ve learned a lot of lessons in my life, and this was a tough one.”
Cabrera is set to be arraigned on his charges on March 16, and it’s expected that he’ll be in uniform with the team opens their season on March 31.
Hector Taveras suspended for 25-games for drug violation
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Washington Nationals’ Minor League catcher, Hector Taveras, has been suspended 25-games for his violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball announces.
Taveras is currently on the roster of the National’s Gulf Coast League team. His suspension will be effective at the start of the 2011 season.
The 22-year-old hit .300/.361/.369 over 40 games in the 2010 season while playing for the Nationals’ Rookie and Single-A team.
Washington Nationals Minor Leaguer suspended 50 games for PED
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21-year-old Adrian Nieto, a catcher in the Washington Nationals’ Minor League system, was suspended for 50-games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug (PED), the Associated Press reports.
Nieto was a fifth-round draft pick of the Nationals from the 2008 MLB June Draft. In three Minor League seasons, he has hit .210/.312/.273 with 2 home runs and 34 RBIs. He reached Single-A Hagerstown in 2010.
DEA intercepted HGH package intended for Jose Guillen
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According to sources close to the federal investigation of former San Francisco Giants outfielder Jose Guillen, as reported by the New York Daily News, Drug Enforcement Administration agents intercepted a package that contained 50 pre-loaded syringes of human growth hormones that were mailed to the wife of Jose Guillen.
DEA agents were monitoring the activities of the suspected supplier when the package was delivered to the attention of Yamel Guillen, Jose Guillen’s wife.
Federal agents contacted Major League Baseball’s Department of Investigation to see if anybody else besides Guillen was involved. Guillen has had a history of being associated with HGH and steroids. He supposedly had multiple transactions between 2002 and 2005 where he received banned substances that included HGH, testosterone proprionate, stanozolol and syringes. Guillen was close, but did not receive a suspension for his past activities.
Jose Bautista denies use of performance enhancing drugs
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8/24 12:22: Will Carroll of Baseball Prospectus says on his personal blog that Bautista has been drug tested at least twice this season and as many as ten times.
8/24 12:06: The mysterious surge of power has led to rumors regarding Major League leading home run hitter Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays taking steroids, but the 29-year-old outfielder denies being involved with performance enhancing substances.
“Nobody’s said anything to me, and I don’t see why they should,” Bautista said, according to Robert MacLeod of The Globe and Mail. “Baseball has a strict policy against those performance-enhancing whatever you want to call them.”
He added that there’s nothing more behind his dramatic power surge.
“It’s not a secret and I didn’t reinvent the wheel,” Bautista said. “I keep saying it because it’s the truth. It’s as simple as getting [his swing] started earlier, and I’ve got Cito and [hitting coach] Dwayne Murphy to thank for that. They kind of brought it to my attention and they worked with me extensively and it’s sort of the renaissance of my hitting. I owe it to them because without them it wouldn’t have been possible.”
Bautista is leading the Majors with 40 home runs.
Phillies Prospect Tyson Gillies Charged with Cocaine Possession
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Tyson Gillies, a top prospect in the Philadelphia Phillies organization, was arrested early Friday morning on a felony charge of possession of cocaine, according to Greg Auman of the St. Petersburg Times.
Here’s the team’s statement:
The Phillies have confirmed that Tyson Gillies was charged today on a drug possession charge arising out of an incident that was alleged to have occurred in June. Because this is an open case, we will not comment further at this time.”
Gillies, 21, came to the Phillies from the Seattle Mariners organization in the Cliff Lee trade last winter. He was arrested by Pinellas Country Sheriff’s offers at 1:10 am and was released at 10:52 am on $2,000 bond.
The arrest stemmed from a June 11th incident where he was given a courtesy ride by a police officer. He didn’t have enough cash for a cab ride home so the officer gave him a ride to a hotel. When he left the police cruiser, there was a small bag full of a “white powdery substance” on the back seat of where he sat. He was advised that he could be arrested at a later time.
Gillies had been out with an injured left hamstring for the last two months. He batted .238 in Reading with two home runs and six RBIs in 26 games.
Florida Marlins Ronny Paulino suspended 50 games for Performance Enhancing Drugs
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8/20 13:43: According to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com, Paulino will be ineligible to play for the remainder of the season. Paulino said the specific drug that he tested positive for stemmed from the use of a dietary supplement. He will not challenge the suspension.
“To control my weight this season, I used a dietary pill,” Paulino said in a statement released by the Marlins. “Regretfully, I recently learned that the dietary pill contained a substance banned under Major League Baseball’s drug policy. I am ashamed and saddened for disappointing and distracting my family, my teammates, the entire Florida Marlins organization and baseball fans. My heartfelt and most sincere apology. ”
8/20 12:05: According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Florida Marlins’ catcher Ronny Paulino has been suspended 50 games for performance enhancing substances.
Paulino, 29, has been hitting .259/.311/.354 with 4 home runs and 37 RBIs in 91 games for the Marlins.
San Francisco Giants sign 1st round pick OF Gary Brown
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Kendall Rogers of Yahoo Sports says that the San Francisco Giants have signed first round pick outfielder Gary Brown.
Brown, 21, was the 24th overall pick in the June 2011 Amateur Draft out of Cal State Fullerton. MLB.com says
“Speed is his best tool, and he can wreak havoc on the basepaths. He’s got more strength and power than it would seem, and while his approach is unorthodox, he’s got good overall hitting skills. Relatively new to the outfield, he’s come a long way in terms of his defensive skills in center.”
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