Former Major League Baseball slugger, Rafael Palmeiro, is considering making a return to the big leagues at the age of 53. Palmeiro, who last played in 2005 as a member of the Baltimore Orioles, told The Athletic that there's "no doubt" he can be an effective player on an MLB roster.
Palmeiro retired in 2005 after he was suspended for testing positive for anabolic steroids. He testified before Congress that year as part of the federal probe into baseball's steroid epidemic, and denied ever using performance-enhancing drugs, famously saying, "Let me start by telling you this: I have never used steroids, period."
Months later, he tested positive for stanozolol and was suspended for 10 games, though he claimed the positive taste came from a tainted vitamin he took.
Speaking with The Athletic, Palmeiro says he's out to prove that he can still compete, even at the age of 53, without the use of steroids.
"I want to prove to myself I can do it on a high level," Palmeiro told The Athletic.
“Maybe 12 years later, if I can come back and prove I don’t need anything as an older player with an older body, then people might think, OK, maybe he didn’t do anything intentionally," Palmeiro added.
During his career, Palmeiro recorded 3,020 hits and 569 home runs from 1986 to 2005, while playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs and Texas Rangers. The oldest position player in baseball history to date is Julio Franco, who played until he was 48 in 2007.