Alexander

BOSTON -- State police are seeking criminal charges against Red Sox infielder Manny Alexander after finding steroids in his car.

Police have filed an application for a criminal complaint charging Alexander with two counts of possession of anabolic steroids and hypodermic needles, the Boston Herald reported in Thursday's editions.

If a clerk magistrate issues the complaint, prosecutors will have to decide whether to press charges.

A court hearing has been scheduled for Sept. 6.

A Red Sox bat boy and his friend were driving Alexander's Mercedes Benz on June 30 when they were stopped by police. The officers reportedly found vials and syringes in the glove compartment.

Alexander had loaned the car to the bat boy, Carlos Cowart. Cowart, 20, had no license and a criminal record. He has not been to work since the incident, according to a Red Sox spokesman. Cowart and the friend have been called to testify against Alexander.

Neither the Red Sox nor Major League Baseball have taken action against Alexander.

Alexander, in Anaheim, Calif., with the Red Sox, refused comment. Alexander homered in Boston's 4-2 victory Wednesday night.

"I really don't want to talk about it until it's all done," he said. He said he will appear at the hearing, though he is not required to do so.

The charges carry a maximum sentence of one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.

Alexander, 29, came to Boston this year in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.