Something strange appears to be going on with Josh Hamilton.
As Hamilton remains at a friend’s ranch in Houston while rehabbing from shoulder surgery he had earlier this month, a report from Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times indicates that the 33-year-old slugger had a meeting with Major League Baseball on Wednesday to discuss a “disciplinary issue.”
Los Angeles Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto confirmed the meeting but would not go into detail about it.
“I can say that Josh is going to meet with league officials in New York,” he said. “At this point I have no other information to offer.”
The Angels are reportedly bracing for possible disciplinary action against Hamilton.
As DiGiovanna notes, it is strange that the Angels have allowed Hamilton to rehab at his friend’s ranch rather than remaining with the team, which most players are required to do while they recover from injuries before or during the season. Hamilton is expected to be out until at least May with the shoulder injury.
While we can’t speculate as to what the disciplinary meeting could have been about, we can tell you that Hamilton has a well-documented history of problems with drugs and alcohol. He was suspended from baseball from 2003 to 2005 because of it, later returning and becoming one of the more inspiring comeback stories in sports, though he did have a relapse in 2012.
Hamilton has avoided any of the Angels’ celebrations in the past that included alcohol. He also publicly apologized for having a relapse back in 2012. When Hamilton was reinstated in 2005, he agreed to be tested for drugs three times a week.
H/T Deadspin
