Semien reps A's on Hooton board for 3rd year

OAKLAND -- Marcus Semien is proud to be on the advisory board of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, an organization that is dedicated to educating youth about the dangers of using performance-enhancing drugs. Last week, the foundation announced that its advisory board had reached a record 38 members, all active players across Major League Baseball.
This is Semien's third year as the A's representative, taking part in supporting the foundation's "It's All Me" public-service campaign.
"Something that's very important to me is to play the game the right way: clean," Semien said. "That's what this organization is about, is keeping the game clean … It's something that kids need to be aware of: how to train, how to eat right, how to get stronger, better every day the right way."
The foundation was formed in 2004 after Hooton, a high school pitcher, passed away at 17 years of age from use of anabolic steroids. Though the case is extreme, Semien noted using performance-enhancing drugs such as steroids prioritizes short-term benefits over long-term health.
"There's a lot of bad things that come out of using steroids," Semien said. "Not only being suspended in the NCAA or professional baseball, but for your own body as well. There's a lot of people taking drugs -- their health is not great now because of it. Just those short-term goals of getting better, faster. They end up getting sick or just not being healthy later on in life."
Injury updates
• Daniel Gossett underwent Tommy John surgery on Wednesday morning, and it was successful, manager Bob Melvin said.
• Matt Joyce received a second epidural injection for his back and is aiming to be able to take swings soon.
• Andrew Triggs (right arm nerve irritation) threw on Wednesday. It was his second time playing catch since being shut down last month.