Yankees' Alex Rodriguez sues Major League Baseball

(CNN) -- New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez has filed a lawsuit against Major League Baseball and league Commissioner Bud Selig, accusing both of engaging in "tortious and egregious conduct with one and only one goal" of destroying the third baseman's reputation and career.

The suit comes as Rodriguez, 38, is fighting through arbitration a 211-game suspension that MLB is trying to levy against him. MLB accuses him of taking performance-enhancing drugs and having ties to the now-shuttered Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in Miami.

"The entire legal dynamic is very complex, and my legal team is doing what they need to in order to vindicate me and pursue all of my rights," Rodriguez said in a statement given to CNN Friday. "This matter is entirely separate from the ongoing arbitration. I look forward to the arbitration proceedings continuing, and for the day to come when I can share my story with the public and my supporters."

Rodriguez's suspension was far longer than the punishment handed down to 13 other players connected to Biogenesis. The others, including stars Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers and Nelson Cruz of the Texas Rangers, accepted their suspensions and didn't fight the league.