NEW YORK — Braves outfielder Hector Olivera, arrested April 13 on assault and battery in an alleged domestic-violence incident in Virginia, had his paid leave extended for a second time by Major League Baseball on Wednesday as it continues its investigation, a person familiar with the situation said.
Olivera, 31, was placed on one-week administrative leave by MLB immediately after his arrest at the Braves team hotel in Arlington, Va. That leave was then extended for two weeks, and a second extension went into effect Wednesday, the length of which was not immediately known.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has broad powers to levy suspensions under baseball’s domestic violence policy, whether or not a player is charged with a crime. Olivera was charged with misdemeanor assault and battery after police were called to the Ritz-Carlton hotel and a female acquaintance said she was assaulted.
Police said the female victim had bruises and was transported to a local hospital, where she was treated and released later that day.
Olivera, out on $10,000 bond, could face a lengthy suspension from MLB after its investigation. The suspension is not tied to the criminal case. Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman received a recent 30-game suspension for firing a gun in his garage at home in Florida during a dispute with his girlfriend. There were no criminal charges.
Olivera has not met expectations on the field since the Braves acquired him in a July 2015 trade that involved three teams and 13 players, with the Braves giving up infield prospect Jose Peraza and multiple pitchers in the deal including left-hander Alex Wood.
Whether Olivera is convicted or hit with a lengthy suspension by MLB, his future with the Braves seems tenuous. The Braves would gladly trade him if they could find a suitor.
Olivera is owed $32.5 million by the Braves over the final five years of the six-year, $62.5 million contract he signed with the Dodgers in March 2015 after defecting from Cuba and being declared a free agent. The Dodgers traded him about four months later, eating the $28 million signing bonus and his first year’s salary in the deal.
Team officials have spent the past week discussing the options they have in regard to the outfielder, who has disappointed both on and off the field since being acquired by the Braves in the three-team, 13-player trade that sent former Braves top prospect Jose Peraza and Alex Wood to the Dodgers before last year’s non-waiver trade deadline.
As things stand, the Braves remain responsible for the $32.5 million owed through 2020 to Olivera, who has hit .245 and produced a .674 OPS through the first 30 games of his Major League career.
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