Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton is meeting with MLB officials about a disciplinary issue and the team is bracing for penalties that could be worse than PED’s.
Josh Hamilton is meeting with MLB officials in New York on Wednesday about a disciplinary issue, according to the Los Angeles Times and Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said the team is bracing for possible penalties for the unknown issue.
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Hamilton was already expected to miss Opening Day after undergoing shoulder surgery earlier this month and is expected to be out for six-eight weeks, but his absence from the diamond could be much longer based on a cryptic tweet from Fox baseball insider, Ken Rosenthal.
In most circumstances a PED offense would be the worst form of discipline a player could be subjected to. However, most players aren’t Josh Hamilton who has a history of drug and alcohol abuse.
The former No. 1 overall pick in the draft of the Tampa Bay Devils Rays out of high school, Hamilton’s baseball career was stalled due to his addiction to heroin and other drugs. He was suspended for the entire 2004 season for his drug offenses and didn’t make his MLB debut until 2007 with the Cincinnati Reds after the Devil Rays let him go in the Rule 5 draft.
He looked like he was on the right track and beating his personal demons with a successful rookie season and five-year run with the Texas Rangers, including winning the MVP in 2010.
Addiction is not something you just get over and beat and never have to worry about again. Addicts will tell you it is a daily struggle to remain clean and sober. We can only hope Hamilton hasn’t suffered a relapse, but Rosenthal’s tweet would suggest he may have, but that’s purely speculation.
Hamilton has three years left on the five-year, $125 million contract he signed in 2012 with the Angels.
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