Hector Olivera of the Atlanta Braves was arrested and accused of assault Wednesday morning following a domestic dispute.
Atlanta Braves outfielder Hector Olivera was arrested this morning after a domestic dispute at a Washington, D.C. area hotel. A woman, apparently known to Olivera, accused the 31-year-old ballplayer of assaulting her. Police found bruises on the accuser, as per a ESPN.com report.
Major League Baseball responded quickly, placing Olivera on administrative leave. The Braves have called up infielder Daniel Castro from Triple-A Gwinnett to take his spot on the roster.
The Braves released the following statement regarding the incident:
Braves statement regarding Hector Olivera: pic.twitter.com/E3MShGUTH7
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) April 13, 2016
According to ABC7 News reporter Jeff Goldberg, Olivera is expected to appear in court between 3:00 and 4:00 PM today to be charged with misdemeanor assault and battery.
A native of Cuba, Olivera defected from his homeland in 2014 and signed a six-year, $62.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in March 2015. His stay in the Dodgers organization proved relatively brief, however, as he was dealt to the Braves in July of that year as part of the trade that sent Mat Latos to L.A.
Olivera made his MLB debut last September and slashed .253/.310/.405 with two home runs and 11 RBIs in 87 plate appearances in the remainder of the regular season. He had started five of six games in left field thus far for Atlanta in 2016, struggling to a .211/.238/.263 batting line with a pair of RBIs in 21 times up at the dish.
MLB has faced a handful of similar situations over the past several months, testing the league’s new domestic violence policy. Presumably in an effort to avoid recent widely-criticized missteps by the NFL, the league has attempted to adopt a sterner approach.
New York Yankees reliever Aroldis Chapman received a 30-game suspension for an offseason incident, despite not being charged. Charges were just dropped against Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes, but it’s hard to believe he won’t be slapped with a lengthy ban of his own.
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Regardless of how the case against Olivera proceeds, it seems safe to say that he will also face significant MLB discipline.