Blue Jays Roberto Osuna Handed 75-Game Suspension

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roberto Osuna received a 75-game suspension without pay on Friday. He is being punished for violating the domestic violence policy of Major League Baseball, announced the league.

The Blue Jays closer, who is 23, agreed he would not appeal his suspension. The start of the suspension is retroactive to May 8 and will conclude August 4. Roberto Osuna would have earned a $5.3 million salary this year. However he will lose approximately $2.54 million due to the suspension.

On May 8, Toronto police arrested Osuna and charged him with assaulting a woman. He was then put on administrative leave by the Blue Jays. Since the day of his arrest the league has investigated his charges.

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The Blue Jays, through a prepared statement, said they supported the decision by MLB to suspend Osuna. Adding that they would not comment any further, citing legal matters that were involved.

John Gibbons the Toronto manager said he did not have a reaction other than accepting what the league does. He said he will live and trust with that while letting it take its course. Gibbons added that the team knew the league would be doing something. He said that he hopes everything is worked out for both sides.

When Gibbons was asked if the team was better off now knowing the length of Osuna’s suspension he said that it helped, as the team must move beyond that and make do with what we have.

Osuna has a court date in Toronto for July 9 and is not pleading guilty to his charges, according to Domenic Basile his attorney.

Osuna appeared this season in just 15 games prior to his arrest. He posted nine saves and an ERA of 2.93. The right-hander was on the All-Star team last season and finished the season 3-4 with an ERA of 3.38 and 39 saves.

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The players’ union and MLB agreed in 2015 to a league domestic violence policy. The agreement allows MLB to discipline a player for an incident of domestic violence even if there are no charges or a trial.

It is expected that Osuna will take part in a confidential as well as comprehensive treatment and evaluation program that a joint policy board of the players’ association and the MLB will supervise.

Reliever Aroldis Chapman was the sport’s first player who was disciplined under the domestic violence policy when he was suspended by the league for 30 games to start the 2016 regular season. Jose Reyes was suspended just days after Chapman for 51 games.