Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress was arrested early Friday morning on a charge of driving while intoxicated in Dallas County.
Rebecca Lopez of WFAA first reported the details. Chris Siron of the Dallas Morning News said Jeffress was jailed at around 5:15 a.m. local time.
Further details about the incident weren’t immediately released.
The Rangers acquired Jeffress from the Milwaukee Brewers ahead of the trade deadline earlier this month as part of the blockbuster Jonathan Lucroy deal. He’s endured a mundane start to his career in Texas, posting a 4.00 ERA and 1.33 WHIP across nine appearances.
The 28-year-old former first-round selection was suspended twice for marijuana use during his time as a prospect in the Milwaukee organization. After the second ban, which spanned 100 games starting in 2009, he took a job working at a pizza place in Florida, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
“I literally felt like nobody cared,” Jeffress said. “I didn’t even feel like my own family cared. Now, that was all in [my head], but I felt like, ‘I don’t belong here.’ So I left after two weeks. I should have stayed at home, but I left and got a job. I was 21, 22 years old, and I was still a fool.”
In 2013, while playing with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, Gregor Chisholm of MLB.com noted the pitcher was diagnosed with juvenile epilepsy. The condition helped explain why he dealt with high anxiety levels and unpredictable seizures since 2008. He received new medication to help treat the issue.
Jeffress returned to the Brewers in 2014 and enjoyed the best stretch of his career. He posted a sub-3.00 ERA in two straight seasons and had a 2.22 mark in 2016 before getting traded to Texas.
His status after Friday’s arrest remains unclear. The Rangers just started a 10-game homestand which continues Friday night with the second of four games against the Cleveland Indians.
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