Alex Rodriguez Could Face Lifetime Major League Baseball Ban

Citing Major League Baseball sources, Jim Axelrod of CBS Evening News reports that Alex Rodriguez could be dealt a lifetime ban for using performance-enhancing drugs through Biogenesis.A source from MLB said a plea deal looks pretty bleak for A-Rod right now.   Rodriguez, it appears, is in much deeper than Ryan Braun of the Brewers, who was recently suspended for the rest of the season for his involvement with the Miami clinic.  Sources are actually calling the evidence against A-Rod "far beyond" what MLB had on Braun.

Amazingly, A-Rod has never been suspended for steroid use even though he admitted using PED's in 2009 and a book was released stating his drug use.  A first time offense is 50 games.  A second offense is 100 games.  A third offense is a lifetime ban.  Rodriguez is believed to have multiple offenses within the Biogenesis era which would give him that 50-150 game territory.  However, if they are major offenses, Rodriguez could fall into that "lifetime ban" category because as stated above, three violations of MLB's drug policy removes a player from the game.

Whatever the suspension ends up being, it is believed to come down in two to three weeks.

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