Rangers Reliever Jeffress Checks Into Houston Rehab, Will Not Be Suspended By MLB

Jeremy Jeffress is headed to Houston for rehab and will likely miss the rest of the regular season. The Rangers relief pitcher has been on the MLB restricted list since Friday, when he was busted for DWI after leaving the Sisu nightclub in Uptown. Conveniently, Jeffress should be home just in...

By Stephen Young

September 1, 2016

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Jeremy Jeffress is headed to Houston for rehab and will likely miss the rest of the regular season. The Rangers relief pitcher has been on the MLB restricted list since Friday, when he was busted for DWI after leaving the Sisu nightclub in Uptown.

Conveniently, Jeffress should be home just in time for the playoffs, if the timeline remains the same and the Rangers 8.5 game division lead over the Astros holds up.

"Moving forward, I promise to do everything I can to live my life the right way, as I look to put this incident behind me," Jeffress said in a statement. "I promise to do whatever it takes to get back on the field playing the game I love. And I will begin this process by being away from the team while I get the help I need to overcome these difficult personal issues."

Jeffress was acquired on August 1 from the Milwaukee Brewers along with catcher Jonathan Lucroy to bolster the bullpen. During his time in the Milwaukee organization, he tested positive for marijuana three times and was eventually handed a 100-game suspension in 2009.

Jeffress suffers from juvenile epilepsy and said at the time that he was using marijuana to self-medicate. During Friday's DWI stop, Dallas police officers found a bag containing a "green, leafy substance" in Jeffress' glove box and later tested Jeffress for marijuana. The results of that test have not been made public.

During the 30 days Jeffress is expected to spend in rehab, he will remain on the restricted list according to the Rangers, but he will not be suspended for additional games by MLB.

"The Rangers commend Jeremy for seeking treatment and taking responsibility for his actions," Rangers General Manager Jon Daniels said in statement Wednesday afternoon. "Our thoughts are with him as he deals with this situation. We ask everyone to respect his privacy at this time."

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