Roberto Osuna suspended 75 games under MLB’s domestic violence policy

Blue Jays’ pitcher Roberto Osuna has been suspended 75 games under MLB’s domestic violence policy stemming from an incident in early May. He’s been on the restricted list since May 8th, receiving a salary but on administrative leave from the team, so his suspension without pay will be retroactive to that date.

Osuna will not appeal the disciplinary decision, and will be eligible to return to the roster after August 4th. He will also participate in a “confidential and comprehensive evaluation and treatment program supervised by the Joint Policy Board” as outlined by the league’s policy.

Administrative leave is not considered a punishment, it simply limits playing eligibility, and in Osuna’s case the length of his leave has been extended a half a dozen times. The most recent extension came on June 18th, pushing it through the 25th.

At the time of his arrest for the alleged assault, MLB said in a statement,

“MLB takes all allegations of this nature very seriously. We are investigating the circumstances and have placed Roberto Osuna on Administrative Leave in accordance with the Joint MLB-MLBPA Domestic Violence Policy.”

The details of the assault were not released publicly, but the arrest was in connection with assaulting a woman. Any further details were kept private to protect the reported victim’s identity, according to Toronto Police.

Osuna pleaded not guilty in a Toronto court on June 18th, but because this incident is related to the league’s domestic violence policy, punishment is not reliant on a legal outcome. The Jays said of the situation in May,

”We are aware of the incident involving Roberto and fully support the decision by the Commissioner’s Office to place him on administrative leave. We are taking the matter extremely seriously, as the type of conduct associated with this incident is not reflective of our values as an organization. As this remains an ongoing investigation by Toronto Police, the Club will not comment further on the matter.”

About the suspension, Commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement saying,

“My office has completed its investigation into the allegation that Roberto Osuna violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy on May 8, 2018. Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Osuna violated the Policy and should be subject to discipline in the form of an unpaid suspension that will expire on August 4th.”

The Jays’ statement on the final decision is very direct.