Sometimes you simply can’t outrun your demons.
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton suffered a drug relapse involving the use of cocaine and alcohol in the offseason, according to a New York Daily News report.
Hamilton has a well-documented history of substance abuse problems dating to his days in the minor leagues, when he was suspended from baseball from February 2004 to June 2006 for issues related to cocaine and alcohol addiction.
One of the conditions of Hamilton’s reinstatement in 2006 was that he undergo drug testing three times a week. He had alcohol relapses in 2009 and 2012, bouncing back in between to make back-to-back trips to the World Series with the Rangers and win the 2010 American League MVP award.
He also took off the 2003 season, citing personal reasons. He did not play professional baseball from July 2002 to July 2006.
No word if or when MLB will discipline him. Hamilton signed a 5-year $125 million deal with Angels in 2013.