Major League Baseball

Report: MLB won't investigate whether Angels leaked Hamilton information

Published Apr. 9, 2015 10:47 a.m. ET

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MLB commissioner Rob Manfred will not investigate whether the Angels released confidential information about outfielder Josh Hamilton in the wake of leaks surrounding his reported breach of the league's drug policy, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday night.

Though investigations into whether a player has violated the league's drug policy are supposed to remain confidential unless a player is suspended, Manfred told the newspaper, "I have no reason to believe the Angels did anything inappropriate."

An arbitrator appointed under MLB's joint program with the players' association ruled that Hamilton will not face punishment for self-reporting a violation reportedly involving alcohol and a drug of abuse.

MLB said in a statement it disagreed with the decision and "will seek to address deficiencies in the manner in which drugs of abuse are addressed under the program in the collective-bargaining process."

There was some speculation that the Angels could have been the source of the leak given that the team would have saved money if Hamilton was suspended, as the player would have had to forfeit a portion of his 2015 salary of $25 million. But Manfred told the newspaper he doesn't feel any pressure to investigate the team.

"Confidentiality is an important component of the drug program," Manfred said. "Unfortunately, the more people that know about something, the less likely it is that it's going to stay confidential.

"I think we will work hard going forward to make sure we do everything we possibly can to retain the type of confidentiality that has generally been a hallmark of our program."

Hamilton, the 2010 AL MVP, is subject to the treatment program for prior violations involving drugs of abuse stretching back a decade.

MLB said it took "the position that Hamilton violated his treatment program and is subject to discipline by the commissioner."

A four-person treatment board created by the joint drug program, which includes one lawyer and one medical representative each appointed by management and the players' association, deadlocked 2-2 on whether Hamilton was subject to discipline. That caused the need for an arbitrator to break the tie.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.