Texas Rangers Relief Pitcher Arrested For DWI

DALLAS -- Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress was arrested overnight Friday in Dallas County, various media outlets have reported.

Referencing an arrest warrant, USA Today reported that just before 3 a.m., an officer observed a black 2009 Mercedes Benz MC5 driven by Jeffress. The car was traveling northwest along the 2500 block of Maple Avenue when it switched lanes without signaling, cutting off another driver, the newspaper reported.

The police officer who pulled Jeffress over reported the pitcher had bloodshot eyes and with odor of alcohol on his breath, according to the report. Jeffress is said to have complied in handing the officer his drivers license and proof of insurance, while also providing the officer with a Texas Rangers club card that showed he played for the team, USA Today noted in its report.

According to the warrant, Jeffress acknowledged having consumed three to four cups of Hennessy cognac and coke between 12:15 a.m. and 1:15 a.m., the report indicates. He was driving a woman with him from a nightclub in the 2400 block of Mahon Street, he added.

The athlete initially declined to perform a sobriety test, telling the officer he had to first urinate. But the officer said the test would have to be performed before he relieved himself, USA Today reported. Jeffress then began the sobriety test with some difficulty: Inability to maintain his balance, beginning too soon and then, ultimately, urinating on himself, according to the report.

During a search, officers also found a substance believed to be marijuana in the glove compartment, the report said. The ball player denied it belonged to him, saying several people had been in his car recently, the newspaper reported.

This isn't the first time Jeffress has run afoul of the law. He was previously suspended for 50 games in 2007 and 100 games in 2009 after testing positive for drug use as a minor leaguer with the Milwaukee Brewers under the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, USA Today reported.

In the latest incident overnight, Jeffress was arrested for DWI, with the Dallas County Jail website noting his 5:13 a.m. booking later Friday morning. The arrest warrant indicated the ball player's blood alcohol level was .115. The reading was conducted via an involuntary blood draw secured through a bench warrant after Jeffress declined a breathalyzer test, according to reports.

The 28-year-old pitcher was acquired by the Rangers in a trade with the Milwaukee Brewers this year. He posted a 2.22 ERA with 27 saves in 47 games with his former team.

Read the full story at USA Today >>

>>> Jeffress booking photo via Dallas County Sheriff's Department