In the wake of reporting that Tyler Skaggs had been abusing opioids long before his tragic death this summer, and that he had been receiving drugs from a member of the Angels organization, and that other players may have been involved, too, the impetus was simply too great for Major League Baseball not to act immediately.
Together with the players, they are going to be taking actions as soon as possible:
Talks are underway to implement opioid testing in Major League Baseball this offseason.https://t.co/yGt5QTsMeB
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) October 15, 2019
That’s good news, but the way Drellich describes the focus is even better:
Prevention and rehabilitation are goals, not only punishments or suspensions. According to one source with knowledge of the talks, one possibility is that a first detection could lead to enrollment in a treatment program rather than a suspension. https://t.co/yGt5QTsMeB
— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) October 15, 2019
The league and the players both have an incentive to keep the players healthy and safe, though players have historically been resistant to creeping testing protocols. Where the focus is on SAFETY (and not just trying to bust guys for marijuana), I think you can get everyone on board.
The current CBA doesn’t expire until after the 2021 season, but the joint drug program can be modified by agreement before then, and hopefully it will be for next season. In the meantime, the owners and the players will continue to rattle sabers on other CBA issues in the coming months.