Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera was arrested following a domestic incident in Atlantic City, New Jersey on Monday night, and has since been placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball.
Under the terms of the league’s domestic violence policy, MLB officials will look into the arrest during the seven-day leave, which can be extended if necessary.
Herrera Arrested Without Incident
Herrera was arrested on a charge of simple assault. According to the Atlantic City Police Department, officers responded to a report of domestic violence at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino at 8:33 pm local time on Monday evening.
Once there, the officers said that Herrera’s 20-year-old girlfriend displayed “visible signs of injury to her arms and neck that was sustained after being assaulted by her boyfriend.â€
According to a criminal complaint cited by Philadelphia’s NBC 10, police described the injuries as “minor,†but noted that the woman had “hand print markings to her neck area.†According to investigators, the woman refused medical treatment.
Police say that Herrera was arrested in his hotel room without incident. A court date for the case is pending.
The Phillies issued a statement following MLB’s decision to place Herrera on administrative leave.
“This morning we were made aware of an alleged incident involving Odubel Herrera,†the statement read. “Upon receiving this information, we immediately reported the incident to Major League Baseball, which has informed us that Herrera has been placed on Administrative Leave. The Phillies take any domestic violence accusation seriously, and strongly support the Joint Domestic Violence Policy agreed upon by the MLB and the MLBPA.â€
Phillies general manager Matt Klentak told ESPN that while he can’t discuss the specifics of Herrera’s case, the outfielder had called the team to apologize.
MLB Domestic Violence Punishments Have Varied
MLB officials have levied a variety of punishments following accusations of domestic violence over the past year. Jose Torres received the longest suspension at 100 games, while Julio Urias did not receive any punishment at all. The policy has also been applied to off-the-field personnel, with San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer being suspended without pay after he was caught on video knocking his wife Pam to the ground during an argument.
Herrera has been the primary starting center fielder for Philadelphia this season, appearing in 39 games so far in 2019. He has struggled at the plate, hitting just .222 with 1 home run and 16 RBIs in 139 plate appearances. He is currently in the third-year of a five-year contract worth $30.5 million in total.
The Phillies are currently in first place in the NL East with a 32-22 record, 2.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves. Philadelphia is listed among the favorites to win the World Series this year, with FanDuel Sportsbook posting the team at +1100 to win the championship. The Houston Astros (+350) remain the top pick to win the World Series ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers (+450).