Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna | All-Pro Reels/Wikipedia Commons
Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna | All-Pro Reels/Wikipedia Commons
Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna recently apologized to teammates and the public about a domestic abuse arrest last year.
Officers witnessed Ozuna attacking his wife last year and charged him with aggravated assault by strangulation and battery, ESPN reported. Police body camera footage showed Ozuna grabbing his wife by the neck, throwing her against a wall and hitting her with his left hand, which was in a cast due to an injury.
"Yeah, I talked to my team," Ozuna told ESPN during the first day of spring training workouts. "I spoke to my team and said, 'I'm sorry, I made a mistake.'"
Ozuna recently returned to the team for the first time since last May, having missed the team's championship run, ESPN reported.
"It's good to have him back," Braves player Ronald Acuna Jr. told ESPN via an interpreter. "You know, he's a such a good ballplayer. You know, on and off the field and, you know, the things that happened off the field, those are challenges for everyone. Certain things that happen off the field, they can happen to anyone."
Ozuna was suspended for 20 games under the league's domestic violence policy, ESPN reported.
Ozuna had the charges dropped by completing a pretrial diversion program requested by the Fulton County District Attorney's office, ESPN reported.
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