Braves star Marcell Ozuna Arrested

Atlanta Braves star outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested on Saturday and is currently being held in the Fulton County jail.

Ozuna has been charged with aggravated assault by strangulation – a felony charge – and misdemeanor battery.

According to sources, Ozuna reportedly choked his wife before throwing her against a wall, and that was done in the presence of police officers. If these charges stand, it is hard to see Ozuna avoiding prison time, let alone ever playing another inning in Major League Baseball.

Major League Baseball has taken a hard stance against domestic abuse, and the league is expected to launch an investigation. The Braves have signed Ozuna to a four-year, $65 million contract, but the team could be looking to get out of that deal.

Ozuna was already out of the lineup for Atlanta after the team placed him on the IL with broken bones in his hand. He was expected to make a return to the lineup in the second half of the season and was a key piece to the Braves’ offensive lineup.

A 9-1-1 call was made on Saturday afternoon that alerted the police to the Ozuna residence, and they witnessed the attack after entering the home. His wife was reportedly taken to the hospital with visible injuries.

Ozuna is in just his second year with the Braves organization after joining the team before the start of the 2020 season. He had a terrific year at the plate for Atlanta in 2020 and finished sixth in MVP voting.

He is a nine-year MLB veteran, and the Braves were looking for him to provide a consistent presence in the middle of the lineup. It is expected that Ozuna will be placed on the restricted list, which means he won’t be able to receive payments during this investigation.

The Atlanta Braves issued a statement on Saturday, but not many details of the allegation were revealed. Atlanta is in New York this weekend for a matchup with the division rival, the Mets.

Snitker Backs Off Soroka Comments

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker has already backtracked from his comments about the status of ace Mike Soroka. Soroka suffered a torn Achilles tendon last August, and the team was hoping to get him back at some point this season.

It was reported that Soroka suffered a setback during his recovery, and he was forced to go under the knife again this month. When asked about his status, Snitker initially said, “hopefully, we’ll get him back next year.”

On Friday, Snitker made it known that the team would be re-evaluating the young right-hander in the coming weeks, and a decision would be made at that time. Sources believe that Soroka will indeed miss the entire 2021 season, but it’s too early to make that determination.

In 2019, Soroka went 13-4 with a 2.68 earned run average to finish second in the Rookie of the Year voting. The Braves named Soroka the Opening Day starter in 2020, and the team could use his presence in the starting rotation.

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