Washington Nationals News: Ryan Zimmerman sues Al Jazeera over PED report
By Pablo Roa
Today’s District Daily features stories on Ryan Zimmerman‘s lawsuit against Al Jazeera and Washington Nationals No. 1 prospect Lucas Giolito.
Good evening DoD readers, and welcome to today’s District Daily. Get caught up on the latest Nats news and opinions with some great Washington Nationals articles from around the web below.
We start off today’s Daily with an article from SI Wire discussing the ongoing saga of Al Jazeera’s report linking Ryan Zimmerman (and other athletes) to performance-enhancing drug use. As the article below notes, Zimmerman and Ryan Howard — was was also named in the report — are suing Al Jazeera for defamation.
Both Zimmerman and Howard have vehemently denied the allegations through their attorney, who threatened to file a lawsuit against the news agency for publishing the story. Today, that threat came to fruition.
After announcing the lawsuit, Zimmerman offered the following statement (via Barry Svrluga, Washington Post):
"“I have always taken pride in my personal conduct,” Zimmerman said. “While I am not a litigious person, I felt it was necessary to file this suit to restore my reputation and to hold Al Jazeera accountable for its actions. The suit speaks for itself, and I have no plans to discuss this any further.”"
The report linked Zimmerman to the use of Delta-2, which is on MLB’s banned substances list. Many athletes have already denied the report, and — as SI Wire’s article notes — the report’s original source has also recanted his claims.
Unfortunately for Zimmerman and the Nationals, this story will likely drag on for a while regardless of whether or not he is innocent.
More from Nationals News
- Washington Nationals Tuesday Q&A
- A Washington Nationals Christmas Wishlist
- Robots in Baseball? The Possibility of an Automated Ball/Strike System in the MLB
- Washington Nationals Re-Sign RHP Erasmo Ramirez
- Washington Nationals Sign RHP Trevor Williams
Also in today’s Daily, MLB.com’s Bill Ladson discusses No. 1 prospect Lucas Giolito’s goals for the 2016 season. As Ladson writes in his article, 2016 will be the first time he pitches without any limitations after undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2012.
Giolito is a crucial part of the Nationals’ future, and while he might not make much of an impact on the team in 2016, he’ll be at Spring Training with the big league club and has a chance to show the team what he’s capable of. If all goes well for Giolito, we could see him in a Nationals uniform at some point in 2016.
Be sure to check out both articles below, they’re definitely worth a read. And as always, stay tuned to DoD for all your Washington Nationals needs.
Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Howard sue Al Jazeera over doping report
Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard are suing Al Jazeera America for defamation after a report linked them to a doping ring.
In December, an investigative report from the outlet implicated several athletes in a performance-enhancing drug trade. Among them were Zimmerman and Howard, who were alleged to have bought and used the drug Delta-2, a hormone supplement, and human growth hormone from an Indianapolis anti-aging clinic. Read full article here.
Giolito ready to pitch with no restraints in 2016
WASHINGTON — Right-hander Lucas Giolito is considered the Nationals’ top prospect. He will have a chance to show his stuff as he participates in his first big league Spring Training this coming season.
Last season, Giolito showed he was fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, going a combined 7-7 with a 3.15 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 117 innings — 10.1 K’s per nine innings — for Class A Advanced Potomac and Double-A Harrisburg.
MLB.com caught up with Giolito on Tuesday afternoon to talk about his season and his future with the Nationals. Read full article here.