NEW YORK (AP) – Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton will not be disciplined by Major League Baseball for his latest problems involving alcohol and a drug of abuse.
MLB said Friday the decision was made by an arbitrator appointed under its joint program with the players’ association. MLB said in a statement it disagreed with the decision and “will seek to address deficiencies in the manner in which drugs of abuse are addressed under the program in the collective-bargaining process.”
Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP, is subject to the treatment program for prior violations involving drugs of abuse stretching back a decade.
He self-reported a new issue this year involving both a drug of abuse and alcohol, a person familiar with the case said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because those details were not made public.
MLB said it took “the position that Hamilton violated his treatment program and is subject to discipline by the commissioner.”
A four-person treatment board created by the joint drug program, which includes one lawyer and one medical representative each appointed by management and the players’ association, deadlocked 2-2 on whether Hamilton was subject to discipline. That caused the need for an arbitrator to break the tie.
The arbitrator said only that Hamilton was not subject to discipline and did not give reasons for the decision, the person familiar with the case said.