Union may file grievance regarding Palmeiro leak

NEW YORK – The players’ union said Major League Baseball may be responsible for leaking the name of the drug for which Rafael Palmeiro tested positive and might file a grievance, the Daily News reported Saturday.

The union will discuss the issue with the commissioner’s office Monday, said Gene Orza, chief operating officer of the players’ association. MLB spokesman Pat Courtney told the News the commissioner’s office was unaware of a possible grievance.

MLB hasn’t specified what drug was found, but a person with knowledge of the sport’s drug-testing program told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity it was stanozolol.

Union spokesman Greg Bouris called the leak a “very disturbing matter,” but would not comment further in an e-mail to the AP.

The collective bargaining agreement allows only for the name of the player and the date of his suspension to be released by MLB.

New York Mets pitcher and senior union leader Tom Glavine said this week he thought it “inevitable” a leak would happen in such a case.

“Once a big-name player got caught … there was going to be all kinds of investigation as to find out what he got caught doing,” he said.