MLB has placed Marcell Ozuna on administrative leave after he agreed to a plea deal to potentially have all charges dropped.
This takes the Atlanta Braves’ decision on Ozuna out of their hands, which might be a blessing in disguise for that front office. Ozuna was arrested three months ago for allegedly assaulting his wife. At the time, “felony aggravated assault by strangulation” was mentioned among the charges. That has since been dropped.
Per our report on Wednesday, “The Braves outfielder must complete a 24-week family violence intervention program, which includes anger management courses. In addition, he will be under court supervision for six months and complete 200 hours of community service. It’s far from the sentence most originally expected considering the charges levied against him.”
If Ozuna completes all that was mentioned in his plea deal, the charges against him will be dropped.
Braves: MLB steps in amid Marcell Ozuna legal update
The following is from Dave O’Brien of The Athletic:
“#Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna has been placed on administrative leave for seven days under the Joint MLB-MLBPA Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, an MLB official told @TheAthletic. The administrative leave can be extended. MLB’s investigation is ongoing.”
By placing Ozuna on administrative leave, he will not be allowed to rejoin the Braves down the home stretch. While the initial punishment is seven days, it’s safe to assume that’ll be extended as Ozuna continues to fulfill his plea deal.
His future with the Braves, and baseball as a whole, remains up in the air.