Story highlights The investigation focuses on whether Cardinals front-office employees broke federal law by accessing the Astros database called Ground Control, which housed information on prospects. Investigators also have focused on whether senior officials at the Cardinals were aware of the spying.

It was not immediately clear which employee was to be charged.

Washington (CNN) Federal investigators have recommended charges be brought against at least one St. Louis Cardinals employee implicated in the probe of an alleged computer intrusion of databases belonging to the Houston Astros, officials briefed on the investigation said Friday.

But it was not immediately clear which employee was to be charged.

The investigation focuses on whether Cardinals front-office employees broke federal law by accessing the Astros database called Ground Control, which housed information on prospects. Investigators also have focused on whether senior officials at the Cardinals were aware of the spying.

The alleged breach began after Jeff Luhnow, the Astros general manager, left the Cardinals to take the Houston job. In the wake of the departure, some at the Cardinals appeared to believe Luhnow and others took proprietary information with them. The Astros database was similar to one the Cardinals used, but many teams have similar systems.

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