Substance Abuse in Professional Baseball

By Guest
Updated: May 15, 2020

written by Maggie Potter

The 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health discovered that 19.7 million American adults struggled with some kind of substance abuse disorder. It’s easy to look at that number and thing about average, everyday people across the country. But celebrities, singers, politicians, and even professional athletes aren’t immune to abusing drugs.

Specifically, in professional baseball, the topic of drug use has been on the table for years. From the Pittsburgh Drug Trials of the 1980s to specific players getting called out for their use of opioids and cocaine, the MLB has had a drug problem for years.

But what’s the real reason behind substance abuse when it comes to professional athletes? There’s more to it than you might think. While it’s easy to believe these athletes have everything, there are a lot of pressures and stresses they have to deal with on a regular basis.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the overall substance crisis facing our nation, how it’s impacting athletes in professional baseball (and in almost every professional sport), and what the MLB is doing about it.

The Opioid Crisis

The statistics surrounding opioid addiction in this country are staggering. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 128 people die in the U.S. every single day due to an opioid overdose.

Opioids are commonly prescribed to people for pain, but anywhere from 21-29% of people abuse their prescriptions and develop addictions as a result. When taken improperly, opioids can cause a variety of health issues:

Shallow breathing
Slowed heart rate
Drowsiness
Nausea
Confusion

Opioids can also help patients to feel like they’re in a state of euphoria, which is why they can become so addicting.

Health professionals and social workers across the country work tirelessly to come up with treatment solutions to opioid addictions, including providing better medication access and psychological services.

But how are the eye-opening opioid statistics across the country making their way into professional baseball?

Athletes and Addiction — Why Do Players Turn to Drugs?

If you’re a fan of any sport, hearing about a player that is using drugs probably isn’t anything new. From swimming superstars like Michael Phelps to tennis legend Andre Agassi, athletes aren’t immune to drug use and addiction. Some have even died because of it, like the NHL’s Derek Boogaard.

In the MLB, multiple players have been suspended for substance abuse since the league initially changed its policies in 2004. Even famed players like Alex Rodriguez had their careers tainted by drug use. Rodriguez, though now retired, was suspended for the entire 2014 season when it was discovered that he was using performance-enhancing drugs, not only to deal with pain in his hip but to play at a higher level. Other players who have made headlines over the years for drug use include:

Darryl Strawberry
Mark McGwire
Jose Fernandez

So, why do players — even those who are at the top of their game — turn to drugs?

A lot of it has to do with drug culture, in general. Each day, over 1,000 people are treated in emergency hospitals for misusing opioids. In 2015, around 450,000 people died due to drug use. Those are staggering numbers that offer a clear indication of this country’s struggle with substance abuse, so we’ve already established a culture in which drug use isn’t necessarily as taboo as it once may have been.

Athletes face interesting circumstances, too. They might find it hard to achieve a work-life balance. The average baseball season runs over 25 weeks. So for half the year, players are traveling a lot, expected to perform at their best almost every day, and getting very little time to rest in between. That can impact both their mental and physical health. Like Rodriguez, if players are injured or if they want to keep putting up big numbers, drugs can seem like an easy way to do so.

What is the League Doing?

The MLB recently updated its substance abuse policies again in late 2019, removing marijuana from the list while adding opioids and cocaine. What does that mean for players? Anyone caught with the substances on this list can face fines, suspensions, or other penalties that could taint their careers forever.

Some players also shine a light in the league by speaking out against substance abuse, like the Los Angeles Angels’ Torii Hunter. Hunter grew up with a father who struggled with a cocaine addiction, and while Hunter himself could have easily followed in his father’s footsteps, he has instead become an advocate against drug use.

In some cases, game suspensions aren’t enough. Addiction is a real condition, and when players reach that point, rehabilitation may be necessary to finally get clean. It could be something the MLB should consider as part of an overall mental health and wellness program for their players.

While suspensions and fines can be serious and even career-ending, if the drug problem continues to escalate in the MLB, the league may be forced to make more serious decisions and policy changes when it comes to getting help for its players.