Report: MLB planning lawsuit against individuals tied to South Florida clinic

MLB is planning to sue individuals connected to a South Florida clinic tied to performance-enhancing drugs. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Major league baseball is frustrated by an overall lack of progress in its investigation of a South Florida anti-aging clinic connected to performance-enhancing drugs, and is planning to file suit against some of the individuals tied to the clinic.

The New York Times' Michael Schmidt reported late Thursday MLB is planning the suit, which will allege the individuals connected to the clinic, Biogenesis of America, damaged baseball by providing top players access to performance-enhancing drugs.

From Schmidt's report:

The suit will seek to recoup money from its targets — including the clinic’s owner and a person who worked for two prominent baseball agents — and baseball officials also hope it will produce cooperation with their investigation into the clinic’s activities. [...]

[B]aseball is trying a new tactic. A lawsuit, if allowed to proceed, would give the sport the ability to subpoena records from the clinic, which is now closed, and compel depositions. Some of the information uncovered could then conceivably be used by baseball to justify disciplinary actions against players.

The Miami New Times reported in January that a number of big names — including Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, Gio Gonzalez and others — were tied to the clinic. But because these players and others have yet to fail MLB-sponsored drug tests, MLB investigators need "documentary evidence or witness testimony" to make a case against them, Schmidt reported.