Clemens: Painkillers were injected

NEW YORK (TICKER) —Roger Clemens told “60 minutes” that he received injections from his personal trainer, according to a statement released Thursday by CBS.

However, Clemens told Mike Wallace that the shots were only for the vitamin B-12 and the painkiller lidocaine.

Clemens’ interview with Wallace will air on CBS’ “60 Minutes” on Sunday night at 7 p.m. EST. Clemens also will meet with the Houston-area media on Monday.

CBS released excerpts of the interview on Thursday.

In the Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball, which was released last month, Clemens was accused of receiving steroid injections from his personal trainer, Brian McNamee, from 1998-2001.

When asked by Wallace if McNamee had ever injected him with drugs, Clemens answered, “Lidocaine and B-12. It’s for my joints, and B-12, I still take today.”

Clemens called the accusations of his steroid use “ridiculous” and insisted that he “never” used any banned substance.

“Swear?” Wallace asks.

“Swear,” Clemens responds.

McNamee also accused Andy Pettitte, Clemens’ teammate in Houston and with the Yankees, of using Human Growth Hormone (HGH).

Pettitte admitted using HGH on two occasions but only while rehabbing from injury. Clemens has vehemently denied using the substance at any time.

Major League Baseball only began testing for steroids in 2004 and HGH in 2005. Neither were banned during the period in which Clemens was accused of using them.

According to the New York Daily News, McNamee’s lawyers - Earl Ward and Richard Emery, a libel specialist - have threatened a lawsuit against Clemens if he attempts a character assassination against the trainer.

“If (Clemens) trashed Brian or if he continues to call Brian a liar, we fully expect to file a defamation suit,” Ward told the Daily News. “If Roger was sued, it would be in federal court and he would have to testify and be placed under oath.”