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Jeff PassanESPN
Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested Saturday and charged with felony assault after a domestic incident in Sandy Springs, Ga., according to jail records on the Fulton County (Ga.) website.
Ozuna, 30, was charged with aggravated assault strangulation — a felony that carries a minimum of one year and maximum of 20 years in prison — and misdemeanor battery — family violence, according to the records.
In a statement, the Braves said: “We learned of Marcell Ozuna’s arrest earlier this evening and immediately informed the Commissioner’s Office. The Braves 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. Until the investigation is completed, we will have no further comment.”
MLB is expected to launch an investigation into Ozuna, sources told ESPN, and could suspend him under the league’s jointly negotiated policy with the MLB Players Association. The league could place Ozuna on the restricted list, which would prevent him from being paid.
Following a 2020 season in which he finished sixth in National League MVP voting, Ozuna signed a four-year, $65 million deal to return to Atlanta. He was struggling before he broke two fingers and was placed on the injured list earlier this week.
Ozuna’s arrest comes nearly a year to the date that his wife, Genesis, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery.