SOURCE: CLINIC SALES TO MINORS NOT CONCERN FOR MLB INVESTIGATORS

Major League Baseball’s No. 2 executive testified that the sport wasn’t concerned if the head of a Florida clinic distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLB’s sole interest was his relationship with players under investigation, a person familiar with the Alex Rodriguez grievance hearing told the Associated Press.

MLB Chief Operating Officer Rob Manfred testified this week and was asked by Rodriguez’s lawyers about documents indicating Biogenesis of America founder Anthony Bosch had given PEDs to high school students, the person said Saturday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the testimony is confidential.

Manfred said he assumed, based on documents in MLB’s possession and media reports, that Bosch had distributed illegal substances to minors, but he never asked Bosch about it. Manfred also said MLB was interested only in possible criminal activity involving players, the person said.

Bosch agreed to cooperate with MLB’s investigation, and 14 players in all were suspended this summer.

Rodriguez was given the harshest penalty, a 211-game suspension announced Aug. 5. The players’ association filed a grievance to overturn the suspension of the New York Yankees third baseman, and arbitrator Fredric Horowitz has presided over eight days of hearings in the case, which is scheduled to resume the week of Nov. 18.

Federal and Florida authorities have begun investigations of the now-closed clinic.