NEW YORK (AP) -Comeback kid Rick Ankiel and former World Series MVP Troy Glaus received performance-enhancing drugs from a Florida pharmacy under investigation for illegally distributing prescription medications, according to a pair of reports.
Ankiel, who has hit nine homers since rejoining the St. Louis Cardinals last month, received eight shipments of human growth hormone from January to December 2004, the Daily News reported Friday.
Glaus, a four-time All-Star now with the Toronto Blue Jays, received multiple shipments of Nandrolone and testosterone between September 2003 and May 2004, SI.com reported.
Major League Baseball doesn’t test for HGH, and the sport didn’t ban human growth hormone until 2005. But a player who possessed it or used it after it was banned could be suspended for 50 games.
Citing records the newspaper obtained, the Daily News said Ankiel got HGH shipments that included Saizen and Genotropin, two injectable drugs. Florida physician Dr. William Gogan signed Ankiel’s prescriptions, providing them through a Palm Beach Gardens clinic called The Health and Rejuvenation Center (THARC), the newspaper reported.
The drugs were shipped to Ankiel at the clinic’s address, the paper said. The 28-year-old Ankiel lives close by in Jupiter.
When contacted by The Associated Press, Ankiel’s agent, Scott Boras, said he couldn’t comment because of medical privacy laws.
Ankiel could be asked to speak with lawyers from the commissioner’s office about this.
“We will certainly look into it,” baseball spokesman Rich Levin said.
Glaus received shipments at a Corona, Calif., address that traces to the player, SI.com said., citing a source in Florida with knowledge of a Signature Pharmacy client list. SI.com said its information dealt only with receipt of steroids and not use.
Prescriptions written in Glaus’ name were obtained through New Hope Health Center, a California-based clinic and were sent through Signature, SI.com said. The prescribing physician was Dr. Ramon Scruggs, currently on probation and prohibited from prescribing drugs over the Internet, SI.com said.
Authorities have not accused Ankiel of any wrongdoing, the newspaper said. According to the Signature records the News cited, he stopped receiving HGH just before baseball banned it in 2005.
According to the Daily News, THARC also shipped steroids and growth hormone to ex-big league pitcher Steve Woodard. He and Ankiel were teammates with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds in 2004, the paper said.
Woodard didn’t return cell phone messages, the News said.
Signature is at the center of an investigation by the Albany County (N.Y.) district attorney’s office. Authorities there have been looking into an Internet ring involving performance-enhancing drugs and allegedly involving athletes from several sports.
The probe recently led to the NFL suspensions of New England Patriots safety Rodney Harrison and Dallas Cowboys quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson.
The third NFL person involved in the investigation was Dr. Richard Ryzde, one of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ team doctors. He had earlier been fired by the team.
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