Baseball Briefs BRAUN LINKED TO CLINIC RECORDS

new york Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun says he used the personwho ran the Florida clinic nowunder investigation by Major League Baseball as a consultant on his drug suspension appeal last year and nothing more.

“I have nothing to hide,” Braun said in a statement released by his representatives Tuesday night.

Earlier in the day, Yahoo Sports reported the 2011 National League MVP’s name showed up three times in records of the Biogenesis of America LLC clinic. Yahoo said no specific performanceenhancing drugs were listed next to his name.

The clinic allegedly provided banned substances to Alex Rodriguez and other athletes.

Braun says his name was in those records because of a dispute over payment to Anthony Bosch, who ran the now-closed anti-aging clinic.

“There was a dispute over compensation for Bosch’s work, which is why my lawyer and I are listed under ‘moneys owed’ and not on any other list,” Braun said. “I will fully cooperate with any inquiry into this matter.”

Major League Baseball officials have asked the Miami New Times for records the alternative newspaper obtained for a story on the clinic and the alleged use of banned substances by several players.

Carpenter may call it quits

st. louis Chris Carpenter, one of the best clutch pitchers in the storied history of the St. Louis Cardinals, may have thrown his final pitch.

General manager JohnMozeliak and manager MikeMatheny announced Tuesday that Carpenter almost certainly won’t pitch in 2013 and that his star-crossed career is probably over after a recurrence of a nerve injury that cost him most of last season.

Retirement isn’t official yet. Carpenter plans to seek fur-

Bther medical evaluation. But Mozeliak seemed resigned to losing him.

“He’s leaving the door slightly open, but it’s unlikely,” Mozeliak said.

His career is all the more remarkable considering the amount of time he spent on the disabled list due to various shoulder, elbow and nerve injuries. He missed most of 2002, all of 2003, most of 2007 and 2008, and then last season was limited to three regularseason starts. Carpenter phoned Mozeliak last week and told him that after trying to throw off a mound, the nerve injury was back, this time including numbness in his right arm, even bruising on his shoulder and hand.

The Marlins signed free-agent right-handed pitcher Jon Rauch to a oneyear, $1 million contract. … Outfielder Gerardo Parra and the Diamondbacks agreed to a $2.35 million, one-year contract.

Footnotes.