Why did chooch get banned

It looks like Carlos Ruiz of the Philadelphia Phillies picked the wrong time to take amphetamines. Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that the All-Star catcher has been suspended for 25 games for testing positive for Adderall, a banned stimulant that can be used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

But if it's not used for that, or any other doctor-approved treatment, it can just get you buzzed, or higher. Ruiz apparently got no such waiver from MLB, as many other players have, to use Adderall. The suspension was triggered, reporter Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes, because Ruiz tested positive a second time:. Under MLB's program, Ruiz was subject to six unannounced follow-up tests over the 12 months after the initial violation, in addition to the standard random testing.

A first positive test for a stimulant, unlike steroids, does not result in suspension. Instead, the increased testing is implemented. Ruiz would be suspended for 80 games should a third positive test emerge. Say it ain't so , Chooch! Ruiz, the catcher on the Phillies' '08 World Series champion, is probably the most popular player on the roster. Or, to be more precise, he's the player on the Phillies that most of their tough-loving fans have the fewest issues with.

They'll probably be madder at Ruiz for being dumb enough to get caught as much as for breaking the rules. Ruiz issued a statement through MLB , via Twitter, apologizing. It sounds like a lawyer wrote it:. Oh, Chooch. A late bloomer, Ruiz has become one of the better catchers in the majors over the past five seasons. He turns 34 in January and will be a free agent after the season, so this incident might complicate how the Phillies address his future.

It also complicates, as Gelb says, how they plan to improve the club during the offseason. And they need a lot of improving, having gone in '12 and missing the playoffs for the first time since His first test triggered more frequent testing, which led to this second positive test.

It is also one of the most abused drugs in the country , mostly by college students and young adults. We are disappointed by the news of this violation of the program. We will support Carlos in an appropriate manner and move forward to achieve our goal to play championship-caliber baseball in The team can probably get by with back-up catcher Erik Kratz taking most of the starts, with a bargain basement free agent or AAA catcher filling the void as a temporary back-up until Chooch is eligible to return.

Need the depth now. Will this prevent the Phils from moving one of those two prospects? And just how much action were the Phillies getting on Joseph and Valle? More MLB News ».

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