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Former Major League Baseball slugger Mo Vaughn has itted to using human growth hormone (HGH) in an attempt to recover from a persistent knee injury near the end of his playing days.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Vaughn, who was one of the most feared hitters of the 1990s, confirmed that he injected HGH directly into his knee to help extend his career.
I was trying to do everything I could," Vaughn told The Athletic. "I knew I had a bad knee that was degenerating. I injected HGH into my knee. I did everything I could to help the process.
A dominant hitter battling injuries
Vaughn was a powerhouse at the plate, especially during his prime with the Boston Red Sox. In 1995, he hit 39 home runs and drove in 126 runs, earning the American League MVP award. However, injuries became a major setback later in his career, particularly with his left knee and a torn biceps tendon that sidelined him for the entire 2001 season.
His name appeared in the 2007 Mitchell Report, which investigated the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. According to the report, there was evidence that Vaughn made three separate HGH purchases in 2001. At the time, MLB had not yet banned HGH-it was officially prohibited in 2005, nearly two years after Vaughn played his last game.
Vaughn spent eight seasons with the Red Sox before playing for the Anaheim Angels and New York Mets. Despite the controversy, his legacy as one of the most powerful hitters of his era remains intact.