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Jonathan Papelbon was happy to about the Red Sox's (legal) drug policies. Speaking to Gordon Edes of ESPN Boston, Papelbon said that, as a member of the Red Sox, he frequently took Toradol, a legal but controversial anti-inflammatory that has been known to cause internal bleeding: [ESPN.com]

Papelbon said that when he was administered a physical by the Philadelphia Phillies prior to signing as a free agent after the 2011 season, doctors asked him if he used Toradol. When he answered in the affirmative, he was told that he would have to stop.

"They told me, 'We don't do that here.' That kind of surprised me," Papelbon said Saturday, speaking by phone from Phillies camp in Clearwater, Fla. "I haven't had a single Toradol shot since.

"But here's the thing you have to understand. There are so many organizations that do it. Not only baseball, but every sport. Football, basketball, hockey. It's not just the Red Sox."

 

We don’t do that here. I like that.

Papelbon, who said that he used the pain-killer maybe once a month, as needed, was one of many notable users of Toradol, according to the ESPN.com article– Clay Bucholtz, R.A. Dickey, NFL players and others have enjoyed its benefits. Or suffered from its side effects. Bucholtz says it probably contribued to the esophogitis that hospitalized him last year.

Papelbon’s claim comes just days after Curt Schilling said that, in 2008, he was told by a member of the Red Sox organization that performance-enhancing drugs were an option for him to aid in his recovery from a shoulder injury.

You get the sense that Paps – and Schilling – was eager to throw the Red Sox under the bus a little bit, especially once you see this parting shot in the article:

Papelbon said he is happy in Philadelphia and doesn't miss Toradol.

"They use safer anti-inflammatories here, have other ways to keep you strong," he said.

 

Read: Papelbon says he took Toadol while with the Red Sox