Reds pitching prospect Ian Kahaloa was recently suspended 50 games after failing a second test for a “drug of abuse.” After Kahaloa had submitted the sample in question but before the automatic suspension was a announced, Twitter user @Reds_1fan brought to light some of Kahaloa’s Snapchat videos that appear to show the Reds prospect himself using drugs. The Twitter user then tagged all manner of prominent outlets on social media. (Click here and here for the tweets and videos in question)
As the Cincinnati Enquirer reports, Kahaloa’s agent says the pitcher is presently in a drug treatment program. Team player development director Jeff Graupe, when asked if the person in the video was in indeed Kahaloa, responded, “To the best of our understanding, yes.”
Kahaloa, 19, was originally a fifth-round draft choice in 2015. Across parts of two minor-league seasons at the rookie-ball level, he’s pitched to a 3.17 ERA and 4.15 K/BB ratio in 20 games, 17 of them starts.
