By Josh Greenberg – Last Word On Baseball
The New York Mets will be without their closer for the first 15 games of the 2017. On Wednesday, the Major league baseball handed down their decision in relation to a domestic violence incident involving Familia and his wife that occurred back on October 31 of last year. Familia’s suspension is the fourth, and by far the most lenient, suspension issued under MLB’s new domestic violence policy.
MLB announces Familia’s 15-game suspension.
Statement from Familia:
Today, I accepted a 15-game suspension from… https://t.co/zUaLRwwP1Q
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) March 29, 2017
Jeurys Familia Suspended 15 Games
In addition, Familia must also forfeit 18 days worth of pay, which will total over $700,000. A native of the Dominican Republic, the 27-year-old right-hander debuted for the Mets in 2012, and led the Majors with 51 saves last season.
On the night of the incident, Familia’s wife Bianca called 911 after an apparent altercation with her husband. When the police arrived, they discovered that Bianca had a bruised cheek and scratches on her chest. Familia was arrested, but the domestic abuse charge was later dismissed because the prosecutor deemed there was not enough evidence to move forward.
Of the other three suspensions issued under the league’s domestic violence policy, Aroldis Chapman’s was closest in length, though still twice as long at 30 games. Jose Reyes missed 52 games, and Hector Olivera was banned for 82 games. In the months following Familia’s arrest, it seemed likely that he would at least get 30-game suspension.
Though Familia is accepting his suspension and will not appeal, he still denies having physically harmed his wife. In his statement, he called his actions “inappropriate behavior. Familia publicly apologized to the Mets organization, his teammates and his fans. He stated that he has learned from his actions and vowed to never act in such a manner again.
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