ARLINGTON -- Rangers reliever Jeremy Jeffress has been admitted to a Houston-area rehabilitation clinic to deal with his alcohol issues. He is not expected to be suspended by Major League Baseball, but he is not expected to pitch for the Rangers for the remainder of the regular season.
Jeffress was arrested for DWI last Friday morning in Dallas, and he has been placed on the restricted list. He issued a statement through the Major League Baseball Players Association on Wednesday.
"First, I would like to offer a sincere apology to the Texas Rangers, my teammates, my family, and to the fans for the incident that took place last Friday morning," Jeffress said in the statement. "Make no mistake, drinking and driving is wrong. I made a mistake that not only jeopardized my well being, but the well being of others, and I thank God that nobody was hurt because of my mistake.
"I have faced and overcome much adversity in my life -- some of it self-inflicted -- and I try very hard every day to be a positive influence in the lives of my family, friends, fans and most importantly my daughter, Jurnee. Moving forward, I promise to do everything I can to live my life the right way, as I look to put this incident behind me. I promise to do whatever it takes to get back on the field playing the game I love. And I will begin this process by being away from the team while I get the help I need to overcome these difficult personal issues.
"I am also making a commitment to speak out against impaired driving for the rest of my life, as I hope others will learn from my mistake. I also would like to thank the police department for their professionalism in handling the situation as well as they did. Lastly, I ask that others respect my privacy during my absence, just as I ask for their forgiveness. Thank you and God bless you all."
Jeffress was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes in 2013 after dealing with seizures, anxiety and muscle twitching for several years. He tested positive three times for marijuana in the Minor Leagues, with the last one resulting in a 100-game suspension.
The Rangers acquired him from the Brewers along with catcher Jonathan Lucroy on Aug. 1 for three Minor Leaguers.
"The Rangers commend Jeremy for seeking treatment and taking responsibility for his actions," said Rangers president of baseball operations Jon Daniels. "Our thoughts are with him as he is dealing with this situation. We ask everyone to respect his privacy as this time."
Jeffress could be back by postseason, although it would be difficult after not pitching for over a month.
"He's a great guy," Lucroy said. "He made some mistakes, obviously. Now he's suffering the consequences because of those actions. The first thing I thought whenever I saw the news was that we need to help him. … I have a personal connection to him.
"I've known him for a long time. I've played with him since High A. I've known him for 10 years now. There's nothing going through my mind other than the fact that I'm thankful that he wasn't hurt and didn't hurt anybody."