Former Astro Miguel Tejada gets 105 game suspension

Former Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada will be suspended for 105 games for violating MLB’s banned substances policy. Yahoo! Sports’ Jeff Passan is reporting that Tejada tested positive for Adderall, an amphetamine, on multiple occasions. The 39-year old Tejada is currently on the Kansas City Royals’ 60-day disabled list with a calf injury.

This could be the end of Tejada’s 16-year career in the big leagues. He is not appealing the suspension and won’t be eligible to play again until after the first 64 games of 2014.

Miguel Tejada (Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports)

After being released from a minor league contract in the middle of last season, the former MVP resurrected his career this spring. A good showing for the WBC Champion Dominican Republic team earned Tejada another shot with Kansas City. In 53 games with the Royals Tejada posted a .288/.317/.378 slash line.

This is not the first time that Tejada’s name has been associated with performance enhancing drugs. In December of 2007, only days after being traded to the Astros, Tejada was included in the infamous Mitchell Report. But Tejada avoided any type of suspension at that time and went on to have a couple of All-Star seasons in Houston. Tejada had 199 hits for the Astros in 2009 but was granted Free Agency after the season. He would never again duplicate his All-Star level of play.

Tejada was one of the league’s most productive and durable players throughout the early 2000’s, garnering MVP honors in 2002 as a member of the Oakland Athletics. During his heyday, Tejada was a tremendously exciting player to watch. It is truly a shame that it had to end this way for him.