Kansas City Royals infielder Miguel Tejada has been suspended 105 games after testing positive for an amphetamine in violation of Major League Baseball's drug program.
The suspension of the 2002 American League MVP is effective immediately, the Office of the Commissoner announced Saturday.
"I admitted I made a mistake. But I want people to understand one thing: I wasn't using a drug to take advantage on the field, or be stronger or hit more home runs," Tejada said to Enrique Rojas of ESPNdeportes.com from his home in Florida.
"I've been using it [Adderall] for the past five years and had medical permission from MLB. But my last permit expired on April 15 and they didn't gave me another. I knew that I was in risk of breaking the rules, but at the same time, I could not stop using the medicine because I suffer from ADD [Attention Deficit Disorder]. It's not a vice, it is a disease."
Tejada had previously tested positive under the league's amphetamine policy, so he was subject to a 25-game ban for a second test and an 80-game suspension for a third, both of which occurred while playing for the Royals this season.
"It doesn't matter if you're MVP or king of the world. If you're going to do things that are illegal, you're going to get caught for it and you're going to get suspended," Royals pitcher James Shields said. "It's a shame because I really like him a lot as a teammate."
Tejada's ban is the third-longest non-lifetime suspension handed down by MLB, behind Alex Rodriguez's pending 211-game ban and Steve Howe's 119-game sanction in 1992. He also is the third former MVP to be suspended this season under baseball's drug program, joining Rodriguez and Ryan Braun (65 games) of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Yahoo Sports! reported Tejada's suspension comes after the 39-year-old twice tested positive for Adderall.
