Matt Bush, former Texas Rangers pitcher, arrested on DWI charge in Arlington, police say
Matt Bush, a former Texas Rangers pitcher with a history of substance abuse, was arrested by Arlington police Friday on charges including driving while intoxicated.
Bush, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft by the San Diego Padres coming out of high school, was signed by the Rangers following his release from prison in 2015, after serving time for an intoxication-related crash in Florida.
Originally a shortstop, he pitched for the Rangers on and off from 2016 to 2023.
According to an arrest report from the Arlington Police Department, Bush fled during a traffic stop the night of Oct. 4, causing a crash that left one person with minor injuries. The report says he was driving a Lincoln Aviator SUV on Pioneer Parkway when police tried to stop him for driving erratically.
Bush ran a red light at the intersection of East Pioneer Parkway and South Collins Street, hit a 2023 Chevy Silverardo and then crashed into a 2010 GMC Yukon and a 2008 Toyota Corolla, police said.
Bush, 38, then fled from the scene of the crash on foot without exchanging any information, police said.
According to police, bystanders chased Bush and detained him until officers arrived.
Bush declined a field sobriety test and officers obtained a warrant for a blood sample, officials with the department said. He and the driver of the Silverado were treated for injuries.
Bush also faces one count of evading arrest with a vehicle and one count of a collision involving injury, according to the arrest record.
According to police, the DWI charge is Bush's third.
He was booked into the city jail and his bond was set at $35,000, records show.
It's unclear whether a defense attorney has been retained to represent him.
Bush, a right-handed relief pitcher, played in the Padres and Toronto Blue Jays minor league systems before the Rangers signed him as a free agent on Dec. 18, 2015.
From 2015-2022, the Rangers signed and released him four times. He appeared in 180 games, posting a 12-7 record and a 3.34 ERA.
The Rangers traded Bush to Milwaukee on Aug. 2, 2022. He pitched in 37 games over the 2022-23 seasons, posting a 0-4 record. After the Brewers released him during the 2023 season, the Rangers signed him again as a free agent on July 10, 2023. However, he never played in the major leagues again. The Rangers released him at the end of the 2023 season.
This story was originally published October 6, 2024, 5:36 PM.
