Atlanta Braves

Marcell Ozuna’s administrative leave from Braves extended

May 21, 2021 Atlanta - Atlanta Braves left fielder Marcell Ozuna (20) hits one run home run in the 6th inning at Truist Park on Friday, May 21, 2021. Atlanta Braves won 20-1 over Pittsburgh Pirates. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)
May 21, 2021 Atlanta - Atlanta Braves left fielder Marcell Ozuna (20) hits one run home run in the 6th inning at Truist Park on Friday, May 21, 2021. Atlanta Braves won 20-1 over Pittsburgh Pirates. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)
Sept 18, 2021

SAN FRANCISCO - MLB and the MLBPA agreed to extend Marcell Ozuna’s administrative leave through Sept. 24, an MLB official told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Friday.

Ozuna was placed on administrative leave Sept. 10 under the joint MLB-MLBPA domestic-violence, sexual-assault and child-abuse policy. It’s not considered a disciplinary action, and Ozuna is paid during his leave.

Ozuna was arrested on domestic-violence charges against his wife, Genesis, in May. Felony charges were later dropped to two misdemeanors of family-violence battery and assault. Ozuna agreed to enter the pretrial diversion program earlier this month, which could lead to charges being dismissed. Even if the charges are dismissed, Ozuna still could face punishment from MLB, which is conducting its own investigation.

The 30-year-old Ozuna was on the injured list with two broken fingers when the incident occurred. He was in the first year of a four-year contract that guaranteed him $65 million.

About the Author

Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.

More Stories