Atlanta Braves refer to Marcell Ozuna as injury situation

Last week was difficult for Marcell Ozuna. The Atlanta Braves outfielder had initially been placed on the Injured List after breaking two of his fingers and was expected to be sidelined for approximately six weeks. Then, just days later, Ozuna was arrested for domestic assault, allegedly choking his wife and hitting her in front of police officers that responded to the address.

According to Braves’ announcers, only one of those incidents happened. And it is easy to guess which one.

Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna not just in “injury limbo”

It is clear that the Braves’ announcers had to address Ozuna’s absence. Likewise, they could not say anything that would potentially open themselves up to a lawsuit from his representatives, especially until the investigation, both by Major League Baseball and law enforcement, are over. But to refer to his absence as “injury limbo” is disingenuous.

For someone as respected as Chip Caray, this is a horrendous soundbite. Maybe they had been told not to even acknowledge Ozuna, but he had been such an important part of the lineup that his absence is notable. Even calling it an indefinite absence would be far better.

In Caray’s defense, it sounded as though he realized that he was not supposed to mention Ozuna, or anything about the situation, partway through the sentence. By that point, he did not have a way to escape, and just came up with something off the cuff. But the perception will remain that he is making light of the situation.

Domestic violence often goes unreported. The perception is that these crimes will not be properly investigated or taken seriously. While that is slowly starting to change, statements such as Caray’s, even if not intended as such, will continue to carry the idea that those charges are not as serious as they should be.

Atlanta Braves announcer Chip Caray was in a tough spot when referring to Marcell Ozuna. Calling his absence “injury limbo” was not good enough.