Feds Search Grimsley’s Residence

Federal investigators searched Arizona Diamondbacks reliever Jason Grimsley’s house Tuesday as part of their investigation of steroid use in baseball.

Thirteen agents searched Grimsley’s house in Scottsdale, Ariz., for six hours, according to Internal Revenue Service agent Mark Lessler, who would not say what they found.

In seeking a judge’s permission for the search, investigators who cracked the BALCO steroid scandal in San Francisco said Grimsley initially cooperated in the probe. He withdrew his assistance in April, but not before he allegedly made “extensive statements” about illegal drug use, “for the purpose of performance enhancement,” according to the court documents.

IRS agent Jeff Novitsky told the federal judge that investigators wanted to search the right-hander’s house for “any and all records showing contact or relationship with any and all amateur or professional athletes, athletic coaches or athletic trainers” regarding illicit drug use and purchases.

According to Novitsky, Grimsley told him the names of other players he believed were using, but the names of those players were blacked out of the court records.

“I have no comment about that and no idea about that,” Grimsley told the Arizona Republic on Tuesday, hours before the Diamondbacks played the Philadelphia Phillies.

Arizona General Manager Josh Grimes said the team had no comment.

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Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt was put on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 30.

Oswalt, 5-3 with a 3.11 earned-run average, has been diagnosed with a mid-back strain on the left side and is scheduled to return on June 14.

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Milton Bradley was activated from the 15-day disabled list before the Oakland Athletics opened a three-game series against Cleveland, one of Bradley’s former teams.