ESPN’s Keith Law reported on Monday that University of Oklahoma right-hander Jonathan Gray had tested positive for Adderall, an amphetamine used to treat attention-deficit disorder. The junior, who can reach triple digits with his fastball, has been targeted as one of the few high-level college pitching prospects available in this year’s draft and has been expected to be selected with one of the first few picks, if not first overall.
Report: Top draft prospect Jonathan Gray tests postive for Adderall
Projected to go in the top two picks, Gray may have hurt his own cause by using without a prescription.
Kyle Laferriere-US PRESSWIRE
The Joint Drug Agreement bans Adderall unless a player is granted an exemption due to need. Law reports that, “The positive test result will not result in a suspension, but will make Gray subject to additional follow-up testing once he begins his pro career, according to a source with Major League Baseball.” Sources indicated that Gray did not have a prescription. Whether this will knock Gray down in the draft remains to be seen.
Gray was not available for comment, so we don’t really know what’s at work here, but Adderall has become a drug of abuse in recent years, particularly on college campuses. As a March New York Times column reported, “Conversations with several students suggested Adderall was always available, costing from $2 to $5 a pill. Adderall has become to college what steroids are to baseball: an illicit performance enhancer for a fiercely competitive environment.”
MLB’s annual amateur draft begins Thursday at 7 pm.
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