HITTING BACK

MLB’s Zimmerman, Howard Sue Al Jazeera

Defamation suit over performance-enhancing drugs report.

Al Jazeera America was hit with defamation lawsuits on Tuesday by the Washington Nationals' Ryan Zimmerman and Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies. The players filed suits in U.S. District Court in Washington, accusing the television network of libel and invasion of privacy over its report that both athletes used a performance-enhancing drug. According to the court filing, the two first basemen are seeking punitive damages and asking for Al Jazeera to retract false and defamatory statements. The television network reported last month that Zimmerman, Howard, and other professional athletes —including the Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning—had received supplies of Delta-2, which is a banned hormone supplement. Major League Baseball has said it would look into the allegations.