Just as the Mets and Braves got underway for their series at Citi Field, Major League Baseball learned that Atlanta Braves star outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested early Saturday in Fulton County, Georgia for domestic violence.
Per ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan, Ozuna is charged with misdemeanor battery — family violence and aggravated assault — strangulation. Passan also reported that Major League Baseball is expected to open an investigation into Ozuna following Saturday’s arrest and that he could be subject to the league’s domestic violence policy and could face possible suspension.
Since MLB implemented its current domestic violence policy in 2015, 13 players have been hit with suspensions for domestic violence cases including Mets reliever Jeurys Familia (15 games in 2017) and former Mets shortstop Jose Reyes (51 games in 2016 while a member of the Rockies).
Ozuna is in the first year of a four-year, $65 million deal he signed with the Braves this offseason and Atlanta had high expectations for him this season before injuries cut in. He is currently on the injured list with two broken fingers. This is a big hit to the Braves with the Dodgers looming large on their schedule after wrapping up with the Mets on Sunday.
Shortly following the news, the Braves released a statement on Ozuna’s arrest, saying that they “fully support Major League Baseball’s policy on domestic violence which stresses to the fullest that our society cannot and will not tolerate domestic violence in any form,” but they “will have no further comment and all inquiries into the matter should be referred to the Office of the Commissioner.”
UPDATE: Sandy Springs, Georgia police just made more details of the arrest public. Per Passan, the incident is believed to be an altercation between Ozuna and his wife. In the report, it reads that ‘in addition to the strangulation attempts, the suspect also struck the victim with his arm which has a cast from a previous injury’.
