MLB Will Suspend Up To 20 Biogenesis Related Players Within Weeks

Major League Baseball is close to suspending up to 20 players connected to the Miami-area Biogenesis clinic, according to "Outside the Lines."   This will be the largest performance-enhancing drug scandal in American sports history if suspensions are upheld.Included in the 20-player count would be Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.  A-Rod recently denied having anything to do with Biogenesis and also paid roughly $4,000 to those close to the clinic to not say anything about him and other unnamed individuals reportedly connected to the lab.

This story gained steam and was released solely because Biogenesis owner Tony Bosch, who is now reportedly broke, agreed to cooperate with MLB.  This gives MLB the ammunition officials believe they need to suspend the players.

MLB will drop the lawsuit it filed against Bosch in March in exchange for his cooperation, which he has already begun to deliver.  Bosch will be giving names of those players involved as well as anything in his possession that could build a case against them to MLB within the next week to two weeks.  Surely, any player involved will try to build a counter argument or will distrust Bosch for life for throwing them under the bus.  After all, this is Bosch's lab and his acquired clients.

A source familiar with the case said the commissioner's office might seek 100-game suspensions for Rodriguez, Brewers star Ryan Braun, who is also involved, and other players.  This is a penalty for a second doping offense.  The players' connection to Bosch constitutes one offense, and previous statements to MLB officials denying any such connection or the use of PEDs constitute another.

And baseball's steroid era continues.  It was never over.

By:  Mike Lindsley, "Mid-Day with Mike," 1-4, Yankees pre/post game host on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio.  Follow him on Twitter @MikeLSports.