KANSAS CITY, Mo. — For the first time in 10 years, the Royals are in a playoff race,and as they prepare for a seven-game homestand that begins Tuesday, they’re trying to avoid the distraction surrounding the drug use by former Royal Miguel Tejada, including the new allegations linking him to the Biogenesis scandal.
The Royals signed the former MVP over the winter and Tejada proved to a be a spark plug for the team after the All Star break, helping the Royals win and move into the thick of the playoff race. But he hurt his calf earlier this month and went on the disabled list.
Over the weekend, Major League Baseball suspended him for 105 games — the third longest suspension in league history — for using Adderall, a drug that treats ADHD and is banned by MLB because it is considered an amphetamine.
Tejada claimed to have had a medical exemption to take the drug, but MLB said it had expired.
The latest allegations from ESPN.com claims Tejada was also linked to Biogenesis, the medical clinic in Miami that supplied at least 13 major league player with performance enhancing drugs, including former MVP’s Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun.
Sources say MLB gave Tejada a choice — either be suspended for Adderall use or for his link to the Biogenesis scandal. He chose Adderall.
Tejada is 39 years old. If he comes back, he’ll have to sit out the first 64 games of next year and find a team willing to pick him up.
Since news of Tejada came out, the Royals have lost two games. With these latest allegations we’ll have to wait and see if it affects their performance on the field as they take on the Chicago White Sox at the K Tuesday night
