O's OF linked to tainted pharmacy

Posted: September 11, 2007

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons joined the list of players asked to meet with baseball officials after being linked to a Florida pharmacy that distributed prescription performance-enhancing drugs.

A day after SI.com reported Gibbons received steroids and human growth hormone from Signature Pharmacy after both substances were banned, baseball requested a meeting with the Orioles outfielder.

No timetable was set for the meeting, a person familiar with the situation said yesterday, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.

On Friday, baseball asked to meet with St. Louis' Rick Ankiel and Toronto's Troy Glaus after reports that they received performance-enhancing drugs from Signature Pharmacy several years ago.

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) from October 2003 and July 2005, SI.com said, citing a Florida source with knowledge of a Signature Pharmacy client list.

SI.com said its information dealt only with receipt of the drugs, not use.

Gibbons and his agent, Sam Levinson, have not returned telephone messages.

Noteworthy

* Tigers righthander Jeremy Bonderman won't need surgery on his sore right elbow, but his season likely is over. An MRI exam revealed no structural damage, but showed pinched cartilage in his elbow.

Bonderman (11-9) gave up six runs and seven hits in 1 1/3 innings in Sunday's 14-7 loss to Seattle. After the game, he said he felt sharp pain on the outside of his elbow.

* The Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics are lined up to meet in a Tokyo Dome opener next season, according to a draft schedule released by baseball.

In games last night:

* At Boston, Scott Kazmir (12-8) struck out 10 and allowed only two runners to reach second base in seven innings as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays beat Curt Schilling (8-7) and the Red Sox, 1-0.

* At Kansas City, Justin Morneau drove in two runs as the Minnesota Twins beat the Royals, 4-2.

* At Seattle, Dan Johnson's ninth-inning grand slam broke open the game and the Oakland Athletics beat the Mariners, 9-3.

* At Detroit, Magglio Ordonez drove in Placido Polanco to cap a four-run rally in the ninth, helping the Tigers beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-4. Blue Jays third baseman Troy Glaus aggravated a nagging left foot injury. Detroit catcher Ivan Rodriguez left after experiencing dizziness. *

|
|
|
|
|