Carlos Beltran was able to play in Game Two of the World Series (and go 2-4 with an RBI) after being injected with the pain-killer
Toradol—a controversial
non-steroid drug that has come under intense scrutiny by Major League Baseball. Most of the controversy about the drug surrounds the side-effects that can accompany its use—
like potentially fatal cardiovascular and gastrointestinal complications. After the 2012 season,
the Red Sox fired their former trainer Mike Reinold—some reports said for improperly administering Toradol to players. Only physicians are allowed to dispense the drug in Massachusetts. After the firing,
the team instituted a new policy toward Toradol in Spring Training of this year. Former Red Sox players
Curt Schilling and
Jonathan Papelbon have admitted using the drug, while
Clay Buchholz was treated with
Toradol in 2012 during a period when he missed 20 games with esophagitis (
Buchholz told reporters at the time that the bleeding he experienced in his esophagus might be due to Toradol usage). While the drug is legal in baseball, the controversy continues over the
wisdom of its use.
