Ryan Madson Thinks Injured Players Should Be Allowed To Use HGH

(Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

By Spike Eskin

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) As the line between what is a performance enhancing drug, and what isnt, continues to blur, professional athletes are faced with the challenge, and the question of whether they should use PEDs becomes more difficult.

HGH (human growth hormone) is one of the more high profile PEDs, that has been abused by some players, but could benefit many who are attempting to recover from an injury, or lengthen careers that might be cut short by a degenerative condition. Former Phillies pitcher Ryan Madson believes his case is of the injured player variety.

If HGH were legal, Madson told MLB.com, just in the process of healing, under a doctors recommendation, in the right dosage, while youre on the [disabled list], I dont think thats such a bad idea as long as it doesnt have any lasting side effects, negative side effects.

Madson has been recovering for over a year from Tommy John surgery.

Former major league player David Segui said that HGH helped him immensely, and once suggested it could benefit another Phillies player who has had injury problems over the last few years. Segui was one of the players originally named in the Mitchell Report, as testing positive for PEDs.

Thats why [HGH] I can walk around and my knees dont hurt, Segui said in an interview in 2012 with 94WIPs Anthony Gargano and Glen Macnow. I used to have to walk down the steps sideways, because it hurt so bad. Now my legs, my knees feel like they did when I was in my late 20s.

In MLBs new collective bargaining agreement signed in 2011, players allowed blood testing for HGH, the first professional sport to do so.

There should be some exceptions to the rule. You got a guy like this, hes too young to even think about having to shut it down. Or even the thought of not having Chase Utley on the field for another six, seven years, thats wrong, he said.

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Ryan Madson Thinks Injured Players Should Be Allowed To Use HGH