New York Yankees star slugger Alex Rodriguez has seen his record-setting 211-game suspension reduced by 49 games, according to ESPN.
The website reports a spokesperson for the slugger insists Major League Baseball officials have now reduced the penalty against him for his alleged involvement in the Biogenesis scandal to 162 games.
Rodriguez was one of as many as 20 players fingered by workers of the Florida-based Biogenesis clinic as having regularly purchased steroids. Other players snared and later suspended as part of the probe include Ryan Braun, Nelson Cruz and Johnny Peralta and 10 others..
Rodriguez appealed his suspension, prompting a lengthy arbitration process between MLB officials and reps for the three-time American League MVP. Rodriguez repeatedly has claimed that he has never used performance-enhancing substances while with the Yankees.
In a statement released to the media following Saturday's announcement, A-Rod vowed to take the case to federal court , adding "the number of games sadly comes as no surprise, as the deck has been stacked against me from day one. This is one man's decision, that was not put before a fair and impartial jury, does not involve me having failed a single drug test, is at odds with the facts and is inconsistent with the terms of the Joint Drug Agreement and the Basic Agreement, and relies on testimony and documents that would never have been allowed in any court in the United States because they are false and wholly unreliable...this injustice is MLB's first step toward abolishing guaranteed contracts in the 2016 bargaining round, instituting lifetime bans for single violations of drug policy, and further insulating its corrupt investigative program from any variety defense by accused players, or any variety of objective review...
I will continue to work hard to get back on the field and help the Yankees achieve the ultimate goal of winning another championship. I want to sincerely thank my family, all of my friends, and of course the fans and many of my fellow MLB players for the incredible support I received throughout this entire ordeal."
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