Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11
MLB to Question Dodgers Doctor Neal ElAttrache Over Conor McGregor's 2021 Banned Drug Use
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11

MLB to Question Dodgers Doctor Neal ElAttrache Over Conor McGregor's 2021 Banned Drug Use

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 11

Summary

  • MLB investigators plan to interview Dodgers team doctor Neal ElAttrache in coming weeks after disclosures that he supported Conor McGregor's use of banned performance-enhancing drugs during injury recovery.
  • The inquiry centers on why ElAttrache backed the UFC star's treatment path after McGregor's 2021 leg break and whether he ever supported baseball players using prohibited substances.
  • The case stems from ElAttrache's role overseeing McGregor's surgery and referring him to a specialist who prescribed the banned drugs, a move anti-doping officials viewed as exploiting a testing loophole.
  • ElAttrache is one of sports' most prominent physicians, having treated stars including Shohei Ohtani and worked with 18 of the past 29 MLB MVP or Cy Young winners.

Insights

Will a top surgeon's support for a UFC star's PED use expose a larger problem in Major League Baseball?
As surgical tech speeds up recovery, are rigid anti-doping rules becoming obsolete in modern elite sports?