After overhauling their domestic violence policies, Major League Baseball is currently investigating three cases involving Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig and New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman.
The Dodgers reached an agreement with the Cincinnati Reds to trade for Chapman last December, however they backed away once a report of his involvement in a domestic dispute surfaced.
Puig’s incident occurred last November when he reportedly got into an altercation with a bouncer outside a Miami night club. It was alleged Puig shoved his sister, though evidence was not found to support that claim.
While no charges were pressed, the scuffle put another dent in an already damaged reputation for the Dodgers’ 25-year-old outfielder.
Of the three MLB investigations, only Reyes was arrested and faces charges. Given these are the first domestic violence cases with the league’s new policy in place, commissioner Rob Manfred has stressed the importance of not rushing to a decision.
After months of ongoing investigations, Manfred said he’s nearing a decision for two of the three cases, according to Andy McCullough of the LA Times:
Rob Manfred continues to say he's close to a decision on two of the three domestic violence investigations. He will not say which two.
— Andy McCullough (@McCulloughTimes) February 22, 2016
Puig hit .255/.322/.436 with 11 home runs, 38 RBIs, a .328 wOBA and 111 wRC+ last season, all of which are career-worst marks. While there were trade rumors involving him during the offseason, the Dodgers are in favor of keeping Puig on the roster under the hope he will turn the corner this season.
Puig has already rewarded the organization in some sense by shedding weight over the winter and being among the multiple position players who reported early for Spring Training.
