According to reports via the team’s beat writers (Meghan Montemurro, The Athletic; Todd Zolecki, MLB.com), the Philadelphia Phillies have designated infielder/outfielder Odubel Herrera for assignment.
Herrera, 28, hit .222/.288/.341 over 39 games last season before being suspended on July 6 (retroactive to June 24) for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy.
The Venezuelan native was arrested for assault at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ on May 27 last year.
The victim — Herrera’s girlfriend, Melany Martinez-Angulo, 20 at the time — “had visible signs of injury to her arms and neck”, according to police reports (per NBC News), but declined to press charges.
The Phillies released a statement at the time of the suspension, supporting MLB’s decision wholeheartedly, adding, “all instances of domestic violence are abhorrent and unacceptable, and we unequivocally support Baseball’s collective efforts to prevent domestic abuse.”.
Herrera, a career .276/.333/.423 hitter (102 OPS+), was a National League All-Star in 2016 for Philadelphia after being plucked from the Rangers’ system in the 2015 Rule 5 draft.
We’ll keep you posted with any new information as it becomes available.
