Doping lab said to be involved in Clemens case

WASHINGTON – The country’s leading doping lab is testing syringes and vials Roger Clemens’ former personal trainer gave federal investigators to determine whether they contain traces of performance-enhancing drugs, a person close to the case told the Associated Press.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still ongoing into whether Clemens lied under oath to Congress last year when he denied using steroids or human growth hormone.

Prosecutors have asked a federal grand jury in Washington to decide whether to indict the seven-time Cy Young Award winner. The trainer, Brian McNamee, has told federal agents, baseball investigator George Mitchell and a House of Representatives committee that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and HGH from 1998-2001.

Now, according to the person close to the case, the world-renowned UCLA Olympic doping lab – where the “clear” and the “cream” of BALCO infamy first were uncovered – has in hand the physical evidence McNamee turned over to federal prosecutors in early 2008 that his side says will link Clemens to drug use.

UCLA declined an AP request to speak to the head of the lab.

“Regardless of who the client is, the UCLA Olympic Analytical Lab can’t reveal anything due to test subject confidentiality,” senior media relations officer Elaine Schmidt said in an e-mail.

For the items to play a role in the case – to help settle the he-said, he-said between Clemens and McNamee – investigators must know what is on them.

McNamee’s lawyers said last year the material included vials of testosterone and unused needles Clemens gave to McNamee, as well as needles used to inject Clemens.