N.Y. baseball stars' funds frozen by govt.

NEW YORK, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Three top New York baseball players say their personal funds have been frozen by the U.S. government as part of the Robert Stanford fraud investigation.

New York Yankees players Johnny Damon and Xavier Nady, along with New York Mets star Mike Pelfrey, are struggling to make personal payments since government investigators froze their bank accounts, the New York Daily News reported Saturday.

"I can't pay bills right now," Damon, 35, said. "I had to pay a trainer for working out during the off-season. I told him, 'Just hold on for a little bit and hopefully all this stuff gets resolved.'"

The major league players are facing financial hardships because they had investments tied to a company owned by Stanford, who is being investigated by the government for allegedly taking part in an $8 billion fraud scheme.

Sports agent Scott Boras, who represents the three baseball stars, told the Daily News his clients are receiving financial assistance.

"We have taken steps to assure our clients will have their temporary needs met," Boras said. "We will provide them resources for the short term."