Alex Rodriguez’s meeting with MLB investigators will be on Friday, The Post has confirmed.
The league’s investigators, led by vice president of investigations Dan Mullin, want to speak to Rodriguez about his reported connection to Biogenesis, founder Tony Bosch and any involvement in purchasing or using illegal performance enhancing drugs.
Rodriguez is a candidate to be suspended by MLB for a non-analytical positive, as per baseball’s drug agreement. Even though Rodriguez hasn’t failed a test for illegal PEDs since the initial survey (non-disciplinary) tests in 2003, he could be suspended for associating with Bosch. There’s also a question of whether Rodriguez’s previous denials to MLB of illegal PED usage during a 2010 interview could be used against him, possibly even to increase the penalty from 50 games (the normal amount for a first-time offender, as A-Rod would be considered) to 100 as a second-time offender.
Rodriguez, who admitted using illegal PEDS as a Ranger, has denied involvement with Bosch and the closed anti-aging clinic in Rodriguez’s hometown of Miami.
Rodriguez isn’t the only MLB player linked to Biogenesis, but he is clearly the biggest name. MLB has been investigating Bosch and Biogenesis for close to a year and appears to be nearing the end of the investigation process. Suspensions for A-Rod and others could be announced this month, at which point any first-time accused players could appeal the ruling and play through the process.
Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun, Oakland’s Bartolo Colon, Texas’ Nelson Cruz, Washington’s Gio Gonzalez, Toronto’s Melky Cabrera and Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli are among those linked to Biogenesis. Colon and Cabrera already have served 50-game suspensions for failing drug tests.
Cervelli, who like Rodriguez is on the disabled list (fractured right hand/elbow stress reaction), admitted to visiting Biogenesis but not purchasing or using illegal PEDs. Braun said his lawyer contacted Biogenesis when he was appealing a suspension that was overturned in 2012.
Rodriguez started a rehab process last week with Single-A Charleston and moved up to High-A Tampa this past weekend.
george.king@nypost.com