Rangers Address Report Cruz a Client of PED Clinic

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Nelson Cruz #17 of the Texas Rangers.

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The Texas Rangers have issued a response to a Miami NewTimes article that alleges slugger Nelson Cruz was a client at a clinic that sold performance enhancing drugs.

The report alleges, based on a list of clients and other information brought forward by a former employee of the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic, that the clinic sold performance enhancing drugs including human growth hormone, testosterone and anabolic steroids.

The NewTimes reported the client list to include a number of high-profile athletes including Cruz, Alex Rodriguez, Bartolo Colon and Melky Cabrera, among others.

"The Texas Rangers were contacted late last week by Miami New Times regarding the story posted this morning. At that time, the Rangers contacted Major League Baseball on that inquiry. The team has no further comment."

According to the Miami NewTimes article, the chief of the clinic, Anthony Bosch, wrote in a 2012 notebook that he sold $4,000 worth of "product" to the Rangers slugger. Below is an excerpt of the Miami NewTimes report:

But there are also several prominent professionals in Bosch's records who have never before been linked to steroid use. According to his July 2012 client sheet, Bosch sold $4,000 of product to Nelson Cruz, whom he nicknames "Mohamad." Cruz, the power-hitting Dominican outfielder for the Texas Rangers, has whacked 130 bombs in his eight-year career without any links to performance-enhancing drugs. Until now. Bosch writes in his 2012 book: "Need to call him, go Thur to Texas, take meds from April 5-May 5, will owe him troches and... and will infuse them in May."

The NewTimes report said it tried to contact Cruz for comment, through the Rangers, but that there was no response.

Cabrera and Colon were both suspended last year for violating baseballs PED policy.

Saos Terasi