Report: Howard met with MLB about PED allegations

Philadelphia Phillies slugger Ryan Howard was absent from camp Thursday as he reportedly attended a meeting with officials from Major League Baseball's Department of Investigations, according to Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly.

Howard, along with Ryan Zimmerman and Taylor Teagarden, was linked to performance-enhancing drugs in an undercover documentary by Al Jazeera titled "The Dark Side" that aired in December.

The 36-year-old denied the allegations and filed a lawsuit against Al Jazeera over alleged defamation. MLB has since enlisted the help of the United States Anti-Doping Agency to help in their investigation.

"Their irresponsible reporting forced me to take this action to protect my name and to fight back against the spreading of these lies," Howard said in January when announcing the lawsuit.

Howard is owed $25 million this season, while the Phillies hold a $23-million team option in 2017 that includes a $10-million buyout.