DALLAS – Rangers outfielder and recovering drug addict Josh Hamilton had a relapse this week when he drank alcohol at a bar, The Dallas Morning News reported Thursday night.
The newspaper, citing unidentified “individuals familiar with the episode,” reported Hamilton was drinking at a Dallas-area bar on Monday.
In a statement to the newspaper, the Rangers said they were “aware of a situation, but we don’t have further comment at this time.”
Hamilton, 30, was suspended for more than three years for drug and alcohol use while in the Tampa Bay organization. He missed the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons. He won the AL MVP in 2010.
This was Hamilton’s second known alcohol-related relapse in three years. In January, 2009, he drank to excess in a bar in Tempe, Ariz. Before that, Hamilton said he hadn’t taken a drink of alcohol since Oct. 6, 2005.
When the Rangers acquired the 28-year-old outfielder from the Cincinnati Reds on Dec. 21, 2007, they were aware of Hamilton’s off-the-field problems and came out with a “zero tolerance” policy regarding his drinking.
He is tested for drug use three times a week and has had an accountability partner to support him in his recovery — though that job is now
Read More from the Article Source: Full Article
