Gibbons implicated
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons received performance-enhancing steroids and human growth hormone after both substances were banned by baseball, SI.com reported Sunday.
Gibbons is the latest athlete to be linked to the Florida pharmacy under investigation for illegally distributing prescription medications.
Major League Baseball asked Friday to meet with St. Louis’ Rick Ankiel and Toronto’s Troy Glaus after two reports said they received performance-enhancing drugs from Signature Pharmacy several years ago.
Between October 2003 and July 2005, Gibbons got six shipments of Genotropin (a brand name for synthetic human growth hormone), two shipments of testosterone and two shipments of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), 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 the drugs, not use.
Gibbons didn’t immediately return a message left on his cell phone by The Associated Press. Messages left with his agent, Sam Levinson, also weren’t immediately returned. Orioles spokesman Bill Stetka declined to comment.
Major League Baseball banned testosterone in 2003, the same year the sport began testing for steroids. HGH was barred in January 2005, but Gibbons allegedly received a shipment that July. HCG is not on the list of banned substances, SI.com reported.
Prescriptions that were written in Gibbons’ name were sent to a Gilbert, Ariz., address that traces to the Baltimore outfielder, SI.com said.
The substances were obtained through South Beach Rejuvenation Center/Modern Therapy, a Miami Beach clinic, and sent through Signature, SI.com said.
Doumit likely done
The Pirates’ Ryan Doumit badly sprained his right ankle only a couple of batters into his first appearance in nearly a month, and is expected to miss the rest of the season.
Doumit, from Moses Lake, was activated before Saturday night’s game against the Cubs following a 26-day layoff with a wrist injury. Doumit entered in the fourth inning after former Gonzaga University and North Idaho College outfielder Jason Bay developed right knee pain and was hurt on Mark DeRosa’s one-out single while spinning to make the throw to second.
Doumit was diagnosed with a high ankle sprain.