Brewers first baseman Eric Thames has already been tested for PEDs twice this season, but doesn’t seem worried.
This isn’t the first time we’ve talked about Brewers first baseman Eric Thames. We talked about expectations for him back in February, and his name came up again last week in PED accusations. In the latest edition of “What’s Up with Eric Thames?” we learn that he has plenty of blood and urine to go around.
In a postgame interview Tuesday evening, Thames informed reporters that he was drug tested again, but isn’t concerned over the matter.
Eric Thames was drug tested again tonight. "If people keep thinking I'm on stuff, I'll be here every day. I have a lot of blood and urine." pic.twitter.com/De1smFWVj7
— Adam McCalvy (@AdamMcCalvy) April 26, 2017
There’s nothing new about people questioning late-stage breakout players. Remember when Jose Bautista hit 54 home runs in 2010? If so, you probably remember the steroid speculation surrounding him at that time. In fact, Bautista has been one of the more vocal players regarding PEDs since coming into the spotlight. Thames is under suspicion because he didn’t last in the majors his first time around.
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In short, Thames was unspectacular in brief playing time with the Mariners and Blue Jays before playing in South Korea. He won an MVP with the NC Dinos in 2015, and has returned for a second shot at the majors. During his first stint in the majors, Thames compiled a .250/.296/.431 batting line with 21 home runs and -0.1 fWAR across two seasons.
Since his return to MLB, Thames has put up video game numbers. In 20 games so far, Eric Thames is batting .371/.482/.929 with 11 homers, 25 runs scored and 19 RBI. He leads the league in home runs, runs scored, ISO (.557) and fWAR (1.9). Up to this point, he’s been playing like an MVP.
Of course, it’s all but a sure thing that he won’t keep up this pace. Every season, we see players start off hot, then cool off. Pitchers will soon make adjustments when pitching to Thames, and his weak points will be exposed.
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It’s also worth mentioning that he got hurt in Wednesday’s game versus the Reds. The reason for his early departure was left hamstring tightness. This could be temporary, or it could be more long-term. Obviously, Thames and the Brewers are hoping this will be a quick fix. Either way it sounds like he’ll be tested pretty regularly throughout the season, but Eric Thames isn’t worried about it.