Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton, 30, fell off the wagon on Thursday after numerous reports surfaced that the 2010 AL MVP was spotted at a bar drinking.
STORY: Will Josh Hamilton Survive The Death Of Shannon Stone?
According to the Dallas Morning News, witnesses say Hamilton was drinking at a Dallas-area bar on Monday.
In a statement to the newspaper, the Rangers organization said they were “aware of a situation, but we don’t have further comment at this time.”
Hamilton has had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse; the outfielder was suspended for more than three years while in the Tampa Bay organization.
This was Hamilton’s second known alcohol-related relapse in three years. In January 2009, he got drunk in a Tempe, Arizona bar, which resulted in pictures surfacing with him shirtless partying with women he met that night.
Hamilton was suspended for the entire 2004 and 2005 seasons, but resurrected his career in Texas where he won the AL MVP in 2010.
With his known history of drug and alcohol abuse, Hamilton is tested three times a week and has had an accountability partner to support him in his recovery – even though that job is now vacant.
Hamilton is planning on leaving for spring training on Feb. 17th, a week before the full-squad reporting date in Arizona.
