MLB investigating Red Sox pitcher following domestic assault charge
Major League Baseball is investigating Boston Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright following his Dec. 8 arrest on domestic assault charges, the Boston Herald reported on Thursday. The same report notes that Wright’s case was retired for one year by the Williamson County courthouse in Tennessee on Tuesday. That’s the first big step in the case being dismissed.
The alleged incident occurred at Wright’s home in suburban Nashville. Wright was reportedly arrested following an argument with his wife, Shannon. He was charged with domestic assault and preventing a 911 call. Both charges are misdemeanors in Tennessee. He was released later that same night on $2,500 bond.
At the time, Wright’s lawyer released a joint statement from the couple that said the incident never became physical.
“On Friday night, Steven was arrested at our home following a verbal argument, and the police charged him with domestic assault. Although he said things he deeply regrets, he did not raise his hands at anyone during the incident, and the situation was purely emotional. We are working together as a family to make our relationships strong, and we ask that you respect our privacy.”
The couple released another joint statement on Thursday on the heels of the case being retired.
“We are pleased that the recent case with Steven has been retired, and that we were able to resolve this matter quickly. We regret the attention this has caused our family, the Red Sox, and Major League Baseball. We remain committed to working together to improve our relationship.
“We are blessed to have the love and support of our friends, family and church, and we want to say a special thank you to them. We look forward to the next couple weeks together with our children during the holidays.”
Despite this week’s developments, a league spokesman says “We are conducting our own investigation, independent of the criminal process. There is not a timetable for that investigation.”
The league has handed out some notable suspensions since instituting its domestic violence policy in August of 2015. Aroldis Chapman was given 30 games following a league investigation despite no charges being filed in his case. The league also suspended Jose Reyes for 51 games despite charges in his domestic abuse case being dropped. That means there is precedent for the league to hand out punishment based on its own findings. It’s too early to tell though if Wright’s case will have the same ending.
The Red Sox released the following statement through senior director of media relations Kevin Gregg:
“We are aware of the incident involving Steven. This is certainly a matter that the Red Sox take very seriously. It is my understanding that both local police and Major League Baseball are looking into this, and for that reason, the club won’t have any further comment at this time.”
Wright, 33, was expected to be in the mix for a spot in Boston’s rotation next spring. The knuckleballer was an All-Star in 2016, but a non-factor in 2017 after undergoing knee surgery.
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Mark Townsend is a writer for Yahoo Sports Have a tip? Email him at bigleaguestew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
