MLB Hands Out The Lengthiest Domestic Violence Suspension To Atlanta Braves Hector Olivera
By Jeff Schafer
Braves Hector Olivera Has Been Suspended By The MLB
Major League Baseball has issued the hammer on Atlanta Braves outfielder/infielder Hector Olivera. The MLB announced on Thursday afternoon that the 31-year-old will be suspended without pay until August 1, 2016.
The suspension is retroactive to April 30, meaning Olivera is suspended for 82 games in total. This will be an 82 game suspension from MLB and will be the longest suspension handed out by the MLB under its Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault & Child Abuse Policy.
As Alan wrote earlier this month, the next scheduled adjudication hearing for this case was scheduled for July 11, 2016. Which tells me one thing, Olivera’s camp admitted to something happening in the hotel room.
If you are completely unaware of this story, on April 13, 2016 police sources say a female victim called 911 from the Ritz Carlton in Pentagon City at 6:51AM saying she had been assaulted. Police say the victim had bruises and was transported to Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington. Olivera was at the hotel and taken into police custody. He was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery for the alleged domestic-violence incident.
Since the MLB first began their investigation until now, Olivera was on MLB administrative leave. He was paid while on administrative leave, but his pay will now be docked since he was suspended as result of this investigation.
The Braves are 12-26 since Olivera was placed on administrative leave (0-7 with him).
“The Braves fully support Major League Baseball’s decision regarding Hector Olivera,” the team said in a prepared statement (from AJC). “The Club will have no further comment on the matter at this time.”
He will be allowed to participate in extended spring training during the remainder of the suspension and he can begin a minor league rehabilitation assignment no sooner than July 15.
Who knows what the Braves will do once he returns in August, but there’s no way he returns quickly to Atlanta. The Braves may do their own suspension of Olivera, they may release him or send him down to a minor league affiliate and hope this blows over. I think the first time we’ll see Olivera again in Atlanta will be 2017.
And that’s IF the Braves even want him in the organization. The Braves were extremely disappointed and embarrassed about this entire situation that they may do something drastic in cutting him even though he’s owed a LOT of money.
The one positive of this ordeal would be if Olivera admitted to his faults and sped up this process. As we saw with Jose Reyes and others, legal matters and investigations could drag on. That would result in more time away from the field.
So far under the new policy, Aroldis Chapman got 30-game suspension (he was not arrested and criminal charges were not filed), Jose Reyes got a 51-game suspension (criminal charges were reportedly dropped before his case went to court) and now Olivera’s 82-game suspension.
Since this news is still very new, we’ll most likely find out more details shortly.
What are your thoughts? Do you think we’ll see Olivera back with the Atlanta Braves in 2016?