One day after his DWI arrest, the Rangers were set to reinstate reliever Jeremy Jeffress from the restricted list Saturday, but Major League Baseball blocked the move, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. The league took action because it’s concerned that drugs may have been involved, per Grant, who adds that it’s awaiting the results of a blood test administered to Jeffress after his arrest.
Jeffress had a blood alcohol content of .115 at the time of the arrest, and police found a clear plastic bag with a “green leafy substance believed to be marijuana or a synthetic cannabinoid” in his car’s glove box, the arrest warrant states. Jeffress denied that the substance was his, but he was hit with multiple suspensions for marijuana usage during his minor league career. Notably, positive tests for marijuana do not result in suspensions in the majors.
In a recent interview with T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com, Jeffress attributed his past marijuana dependence to epilepsy, which he has dealt with since his teenage years.
“I was self-medicating … doing it with marijuana. It would help, but at the same time, the rules and regulations of baseball wouldn’t allow it. I had to find out other ways to deal with it,” said Jeffress, who was one marijuana suspension away from a lifetime ban in the minors.
FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reported in May that the Brewers helped Jeffress overcome his marijuana issues, but they traded the 28-year-old to the Rangers in advance of the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. Prior to his arrest, Jeffress tossed nine innings with Texas and allowed four earned runs on seven hits and five walks. He won’t return to the Rangers’ bullpen until the league consults with the players’ association and declares him eligible, according to Grant.
I don’t know who’s more pissed: The Rangers or Jeffress’ pants?
Once a pothead, always a pothead.
MLB lets 10% of the league take amphetamine based medication to treat ADHD, but Jeffress can’t use Cannabis to treat epilepsy?
I’m sure there’s a lot of guys who smoke weed on every team, at least 30% of the league
So if he’s “just” driving drunk then he can play, but if he had some weed in the car mlb will intervene to punish him? Great logic there.
Yeah the rule is so backwards. The weed could prevent him from playing period, yet the dwi would only be a real issue if someone had gotten hurt probably. Not advocating for either side, but if they think marijuana is so bad, they need to wake up and realize alcohol is as bad or worse
Can only die from withdrawal of two substances – alcohol and opioids.
Wrong! Alcohol and benzos (valium,xanax,etc….) You feel like you will die from opioid withdrawal, but you won’t.
I stand corrected. Benzos and alcohol can definitely be fatal during physical withdrawal.
To quote you, “Wrong!”
It is very possible to die from opiate withdrawal, but not nearly as likely as the other two.
What drug they aren’t mine. Never seen them before they were just in the car. Must be someone else’s. lol
Green leafy substance? Are you kidding me? Like the Dallas police doesn’t know what marijana looks or smells like lol. Even if the bag had no residue it would still smell like marijana…..Plus they have marijana test kits on hand.
And you know Dallas police don’t deal with weed with all the trafficking going on over there border from Mexico (sarcastic) Lmao.
Can players not have a prescription for marijuana now in days?
They obviously know what marijuana is. It’s just standard police procedure. They can’t officially declare it to be marijuana in the complaint until it’s tested
The guy obviously needs some help. Don’t suspend him, help him.
Let’s address the seizure issue, regular prescription medications didn’t work? Does he not want to take them because he prefers weed?
There is a lot of questions here…. Did MLB care more about the weed & would have let him play if there was no green leaves substance in the car? As we all know both substances impair judgement or should we be thinking about innocent until proven guilty??? Very complicated but as already pointed out HE NEEDS HELP!