Gio Gonzalez Reportedly Didn't Receive PEDs from Miami-Based Clinic
Washington Nationals starting pitcherย Gioย Gonzalez arrived at spring training defiant,ย saying he never receivedย performance-enhancing drugsย from Tony Bosch's drug clinic,ย Biogenesis.
Based on the latest reports coming from ESPN'sย Mike Fishย andย T.J. Quinn, it seems the left-handed ace is telling the truth. According to two independent sources close to the operation,ย Gonzalez is identified as an outlier, having never received any PEDs:
"According to two sources familiar with Bosch's operation, however, the Washington Nationals'ย Gioย Gonzalez, previously identified as being named inย Biogenesis documents, did not receive banned substances from Bosch or the clinic.
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Fish and Quinn later report that independent verification of documents points toward Gonzalez being clean as well. According to documents that detail Bosch's operation, the Nationals star did receive $1,000 worth of substances fromย Biogenesis, but none are banned by Major League Baseball.
Gonzalez's name was first brought into the performance-enhancing-drugs conversation when the Miami New Timesย broke a report detailingย Biogenesisย in January. He, along with other prominent majorย leaguersย like Alex Rodriguez, Nelson Cruz and Melky Cabrera,ย were named among Bosch's most noteworthy clients.
Gonzalez was said to have received performance-enhancers from Bosch, which would have been especially notable considering his recent ascent.
Last season in Washington, Gonzalez enjoyed by far the most success of his professional career.
The 27-year-old finished 2012 with a 21-8 record, 2.89 ERA and 1.13 WHIP while putting up a career-high 4.5 wins above replacement. Gonzalez finished third in the National League Cy Young race and was critical to bringing the Nationals their first division championship since moving to the nation's capital.
Expectations are even higher heading into 2013, so Gonzalez is expected to once again anchor the Nationals staff.
With his name cleared by Tuesday's report, one has to guess Gonzalez will have a much easier time doing so come Opening Day.
