After watching and learning from the miscalculations of the National Football League, Major League Baseball now finds itself connected to alleged domestic violence incidents.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have unfortunately become all too familiar with the matter, as Yasiel Puig is under investigation for reportedly getting physical with his sister, which led to a scuffle with a bouncer outside a Miami bar.
As if that weren’t enough, the Dodgers trade for Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman is now in limbo after it was reported Chapman was involved in an alleged domestic violence dispute back in October.
According to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, MLB executive Joe Torre said the league wasn’t aware of Chapman’s incident until Monday night:
The commissioner’s office was unaware of the domestic violence accusations made against Cincinnati Reds closer Aroldis Chapman until late Monday, Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre said.
Along with the two Chapman and Puig, Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes is being investigated over an alleged domestic violence issue. The three cases are the first since MLB overhauled its policies regarding such matters.
Given that and the complex nature of the situations, Torre stressed the importance of investigations being completed without pressure of a deadline:
“It takes time to gather information, and the same thing with the José Reyes thing,” Torre said, referring to another domestic violence case. “We want to make sure we have all the information and then the decision will be made. The only timetable is when we feel we’ve got as much information as we can get.”
Contrary to some reports, the Dodgers have not completely abandoned trading for Chapman. Should they move forward, the Dodgers would run the risk of losing Chapman to a potential suspension.
Under the overhauled domestic violence policy, Manfred has complete authority over determining the length of the punishment for players of “just cause” and can suspend a player with pay while legal proceedings take place.
