It was reported on Wednesday that Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton was meeting with Major League Baseball officials in New York City regarding a "disciplinary issue." The 33-year-old reportedly confessed to a wrongdoing.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Hamilton admitted to relapsing a few months back and "going on a binge that involved cocaine." This piles on to Hamilton's woes, as he recently underwent shoulder surgery and is expected to miss 2-3 months after playing in only 89 games last season. If the former AL MVP is facing a punishment, he would be a first-time offender, but right now there is "no indication" if he had failed a drug test.
It's unknown what the MLB will do, even though the Angels are "bracing for penalties." Hamilton suffered from addiction and substance abuse issues (alcohol, cocaine and heroin) in the past, which resulted in him being suspended from baseball from 2004-2006, before he was even on a major league roster. Heyman notes that Hamilton may be put in a rehab program as a first-time offender. The outfielder suffered an alcohol relapse back in 2012 while he was a member of the Texas Rangers, and another in 2009, which he said was the first drink he had since October of 2005.
Despite Hamilton's incredible talent, his addiction issues have significantly hindered his ability to maximize his potential at the professional level. He was the No. 1 overall pick of the 1999 amateur draft, but didn't make his debut until 2007 - when he was 26 years old. He played 90 games with the Cincinnati Reds that year and was then traded to the Rangers, where he was an All-Star in all five seasons with the team, won three Silver Slugger Awards and one AL MVP. He batted .305/.363/.549/.912 with 419 runs scored, 142 home runs and 506 RBIs over that five-year span.
He then hit the free agent market after the 2012 season and the Angels lured him in with a five-year, $125 million contract. However, Hamilton has been a disappointment thus far, batting just .255/.316/.426 with 116 runs scored, 31 home runs and 123 RBIs in 240 games in the first two years of his deal. He played in 89 games last year because of thumb surgery and other injuries throughout the season. The bad news for the Angels is that they owe him $90.2 million in the final three years of his contract.
We've seen Hamilton beat this illness before and become one of the best players in the game, so hopefully he can do it again with the help of Major League Baseball.
UPDATE: Hamilton suffered an alcohol and cocaine relapse, according to the New York Daily News.
