▁August ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 . ▁ ▁During ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁interview ▁with ▁K atie ▁Cour ic ▁on ▁ 6 0 ▁Min utes , ▁Rod rig uez ▁denied ▁using ▁performance - en han cing ▁dru gs . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁Rod rig uez ▁admitted ▁to ▁having ▁used ▁ster oid s , ▁saying ▁he ▁used ▁them ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁when ▁playing ▁for ▁the ▁R angers ▁due ▁to ▁" an ▁enorm ous ▁amount ▁of ▁pressure " ▁to ▁perform . ▁While ▁recover ing ▁from ▁a ▁hip ▁injury ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁Rod rig uez ▁made ▁head lines ▁by ▁fe ud ing ▁with ▁team ▁management ▁over ▁his ▁re h abil itation ▁and ▁for ▁having ▁alleg edly ▁obtained ▁performance - en han cing ▁dru gs ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Bi ogen esis ▁baseball ▁sc andal . ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁ML B ▁susp ended ▁him ▁for ▁ 2 1 1 ▁games ▁for ▁his ▁invol vement ▁in ▁the ▁sc andal , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁allowed ▁to ▁play ▁while ▁appe aling ▁the ▁pun ishment . ▁Had ▁the ▁original ▁susp ension ▁been ▁u ph eld , ▁it ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁longest ▁non - l if etime ▁susp ension ▁in ▁Major ▁League ▁Baseball ▁history . ▁After ▁an ▁arbitr ation ▁hearing , ▁the ▁susp ension ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁ 1 6 2 ▁games , ▁which ▁kept ▁him ▁off ▁the ▁field ▁for ▁the ▁entire