The Manny Diet ... ever consider that, Peter Gammons?

From John Rolfe's "Getting Loose" column on SI.com (linked here):

As the mystery of Manny Ramirez's chemical transgression continues to unspool -- apparently elevated synthetic testosterone and not the female fertility drug hCG tripped him up -- reader Joey of Dallas, TX ... suggests that Manny may have had a legit reason for that hCG prescription that was discovered in his medical records (Manny's, not Joey's):

Please just look up hCG diet on Google. Why is no one in the media mentioning this usage? I have no clue why Manny was taking it, but y'all complete mischaracterize the drug as having no other legitimate uses.

Speaking for this humble media outlet, this space had never heard of the hCG diet (linked here). But alack and alas, research suggests that a daily hCG injection can help shed up to two pounds per day, and possibly more, when accompanied by a starvation diet of 500 calories. So perhaps Manny, who has been looking a little zaftig of late, was merely trying to shed some unsightly avoirdupois before bikini season begins.

We're willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.