Controversy!MLB

Another Athlete Has Been Suspended For Adderall Use: Carlos Ruiz

There are two kinds of people who take Adderall: overworked college students and professional athletes. Yes, I’m under the understanding that it’s actually supposed to treat ADHD. I’m also under the understanding that six NFL players have been subject to suspension due to using the substance in the last six weeks, and now it has spread to baseball, where Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz has earned himself a 25-game suspension.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Ruiz produced his second positive test for Adderall, which is on MLB’s “banned stimulant” list (different from steroids) and earns him a 25-game suspension to be served at the start of the 2013 season. Ruiz is the latest in a string of athletes, mostly professional football players, who have been subject to suspension after testing positive for the drug. Its express purpose is to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), though these athletes have been using it presumably in recreation, using the stimulant to improve workouts.

Peter King pointed out that six NFL players have faced suspension charges in the past six weeks, including Seattle Seahawks cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner (they drank it unknowingly, of course) Bucs corner Eric Wright and Patriots/former Bucs corner Aqib Talib. NFL corners need to leave some drugs for the rest of us, and Carlos Ruiz.

Speaking of Ruiz, the longtime Phils catcher had the strongest offensive output of anyone in the Phils’ lineup in 2012 (.325/.394/.540) and is a fan-favorite in the city of brotherly love. Twenty-five games certainly isn’t a debilitating stretch, but Philadelphia will surely miss his presence at the start of next season. Ruiz might spend that time working on his focus, and by focus I mean focusing on MLB’s drug policy, which actually allows players to take Adderall with a prescription.

And that’s the dirty little secret about the little drug that could: It’s technically legal in the NFL and MLB, so long as you have proper documentation, which I imagine isn’t very hard to get at all. Get on that guys, we can all stop telling people we accidentally drank the drug.

[h/t SB Nation, Getty Images]

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