Surgically enhanced: stem cells and baseball.

• Author: Bailey, Ronald
• Position: Citings - Pitcher Bartolo Colon's arm surgery - Brief article

AT 37, New York Yankees pitcher Bartolo Colon looked like he was at the end of his 13-year Major League Baseball career. After damaging his rotator cuff and a ligament in his arm--the sort of injury that frequently ends a player's career--he underwent complex surgery in April 2010.

The surgery gave Colon's career a boost. His fastball speed returned, clocking in at 93 miles per hour, and the Yankees put Colon into their starting rotation. Yet the renewed success has come at a price. Colon is being investigated by Major League Baseball for using a surgical treatment involving stem cells. Baseball authorities are inquiring into whether this qualifies as an "enhancement," which would violate league rules.

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