A-Rod's drug suspension cut from 211 to 162 games, but sidelined for entire 2014

The drug suspension of American baseball star Alex Rodriguez has reportedly been cut from 211 games to 162 games by a Major League Baseball (MLB) arbitrator, who however, sidelined him for any postseason games this year.

The New York Yankees third baseman, who has vowed to fight the ruling in federal court, was penalised for 211-game by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig last year following the league's investigation of an anti-aging clinic, which was accused of distributing banned performance-enhancing drugs.

According to Fox News, Rodriguez stated that he is not surprised at the number of games in the new ruling as the 'deck has been stacked' against him from day one, adding that the decision was not put before a fair and impartial jury, is inconsistent and relies on false and unreliable testimony and documents.

 

The MLB Players Association filed a grievance saying the discipline was without 'just cause', although despite the ban, the report mentioned that baseball's drug rules allow Rodriguez to participate in spring training and play in exhibition games.

However, Rodriguez plans to continue the fight, further stating that 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.

Reiterating his innocence, Rodriguez also said that in order to prove that he did not use performance-enhancing substances as alleged in the notice of discipline, he would take this fight to federal court and is confident that the judge will find that the panel blatantly disregarded the law and facts, and will overturn the suspension.