Breaking: Aroldis Chapman suspended 30 games
eammYankees LHP Aroldis Chapman suspended 30 games without pay under MLB’s domestic violence policy. He will not appeal. pic.twitter.com/0m4oTVjKRu
— MLB (@MLB) March 1, 2016
Aroldis Chapman will miss his first 30 games in pinstripes due to an infringement upon the MLB's domestic violence policy. According to the policy, "The Commissioner will decide on appropriate discipline, with no minimum or maximum penalty under the policy. Players may challenge such decisions to the arbitration panel." Chapman, in an official statement, said that he will not be appealing the suspension, as he previously said he would. The 30-game suspension will cost him $1,856,557 of his $11.325M salary.
According to police reports, when Chapman was with the Reds, the 27-year-old pitcher "pushed" and "choked" his girlfriend on October 30, 2015 at their home in Davie, Florida. Apparently, there were gunshots also fired in the garage. There were no arrests made that night, although his girlfriend was found hiding in the bushes until police officers arrived.
Joel Sherman of the NY Post noted that Chapman is still allowed to participate in Spring Training and exhibition games, but won't be allowed to prepare for the season in the minors once the season starts. He'll be limited to working out at the Yankees' facility in Tampa. Sherman also says that it's possible that Chapman's cooperation in the matter saved himself from missing an additional 15 games or so. Without any rainouts, expect Chapman to make his first appearance Monday, May 9th (home) against the Royals. Full statement from Chapman here:
"Today, I accepted a 30 game suspension from Major League Baseball resulting from my actions on October 30, 2015. I want to be clear, I did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening. However, I should have exercised better judgment with respect to certain actions, and for that I am sorry. The decision to accept a suspension, as opposed to appealing one, was made after careful consideration. I made this decision in an effort to minimize the distractions that an appeal would cause the Yankees, my new teammates, and most importantly, my family. I have learned from this matter, and I look forward to being part of the Yankees' quest for a 28th World Series title. Out of respect for my teammates and my family, I will have no further comment"