ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested early Friday morning and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Ozuna spoke to reporters for 18 seconds before the game against the Houston Astros. He made a statement, but didn’t take any questions.
“I disappointed my team,” he said. “I disappointed my family. I don’t have anything to say more. It’s a legal matter.”
It was the second arrest in as many years for Ozuna. He was arrested on May 29, 2021, on charges of aggravated assault by strangulation and battery after police officers said they witnessed him attacking his wife. Those charges were dropped after he completed a pretrial diversion program.
Ozuna was arrested by a Norcross Police officer in metro Atlanta and booked into the Gwinnett County jail at about 4:30 a.m. He was charged with DUI and failure to maintain lane and was released on $1,830 bond.
“The Atlanta Braves are aware of Marcell Ozuna’s arrest this morning and are still gathering all the facts pertaining to the incident,” the team said in a statement. “Our organization takes these matters very seriously and are obviously disappointed by the situation. As this is a legal matter, we will have no further comment until the process is complete.”
Ozuna’s was not in Friday’s lineup – the fifth straight game he has missed because of poor performance on the field, Manager Brian Snitker said.
Snitker spoke to Ozuna earlier Friday but didn’t elaborate on their conversation.
“No, like I said, I think everything’s been said,” Snitker said. “We’re disappointed that it happened, and we’ll just go on.”
Ozuna, 31, is in his third season in Atlanta and in the second year of a $65 million, four-year contract. He hit .338 and led the National League with 18 homers and 56 RBI in 2020, but has dropped below .215 for two consecutive seasons.
Ozuna is hitting .214 with 20 homers and 46 RBI this season. This season’s substandard production led to reduced playing time even before the arrest.
Following the 2021 arrest, Ozuna was placed on administrative leave during an MLB investigation and missed Atlanta’s World Series championship run. He was then retroactively suspended for 20 games under its domestic violence policy in November, allowing him to return for the start of this season.
Ozuna apologized to his teammates and fans at spring training in March.
“My fans, I’m going to give you the best and I’m going to be a better person, and I’m sorry,” Ozuna said at the start of spring training.
Ozuna’s pretrial diversion program, which led to the previous charges being dropped, included 3-6 months of supervision, a 24-week family violence intervention program, at least 200 hours of community service and an anger management course.
YANKEES: Giancarlo Stanton is expected to begin a rehab assignment Saturday and could rejoin the AL East leaders in the middle of next week as their designated hitter.
Stanton, who hasn’t played since July 23 because of left Achilles tendinitis, worked out again at Yankee Stadium prior to Friday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Manager Aaron Boone said Stanton was then slated to head to Bowie, Maryland, to serve as the DH in rehab games for Double-A Somerset on Saturday and Sunday.
REDS: Cincinnati first baseman Joey Votto had surgery to repair his left rotator cuff and bicep.
The team said Votto should be able to participate in spring training and be ready for the 2023 season.
Votto was placed on the 60-day injured list before Cincinnati opened a three-game series at Pittsburgh. Infielder Mike Moustakas was activated from the injured list, and infielder Donovan Solano was transferred from the paternity list to the restricted list.
Moustakas had been sidelined by a left calf strain.
Votto, who turns 39 next month, said he has been playing through the injury since 2015, but it has gotten worse this year. A six-time All-Star and 2010 NL MVP, hit just .205 this season with 11 homers and 41 RBI.
WHITE SOX: Chicago signed Elvis Andrus for the remainder of the season, adding a veteran shortstop to replace All-Star Tim Anderson, who is sidelined by a finger injury.
Andrus, who turns 34 next week, cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Oakland Athletics. He hit .237 with eight homers and 30 RBI in 106 games with Oakland and committed nine errors in 101 games at shortstop.
ROCKIES: Right-hander Antonio Senzatela will miss the rest of the season because of a torn ACL in his left knee, Manager Bud Black said.
Senzatela, who’s in the first season of a five-year, $50 million contract, was 3-7 with a 5.07 ERA in 19 starts this season.
FRIDAY’S GAMES
BLUE JAYS 4, YANKEES 0: Kevin Gausman tossed seven sharp innings and visiting Toronto became the latest team to shut out New York.
The Yankees were held to four singles and didn’t get a runner beyond second base as they lost for the 14th time in 18 games. They have been blanked three times in the last six games and five times in the last 13 games, after being shut out just six times in the first 107 games.
The Blue Jays moved within eight games of the Yankees – the closest they’ve been to first place since June 13.
Gausman (9-9) allowed four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. It was the third scoreless effort in four starts for Gausman, a span in which he has a 1.75 ERA.
ROYALS 3, RAYS 2: Michael Massey’s sacrifice fly in the 10th inning lifted Kansas City to a win in St. Petersburg, Florida, ending the Royals’ four-game skid.
Massey drove in automatic runner Michael A. Taylor, who had moved up to third on a groundball.
GUARDIANS 5, WHITE SOX 2: Triston McKenzie struck out a career-high 14 batters and Cleveland scored four runs with two outs in the seventh to rally for a win over visiting Chicago.
McKenzie (9-9) struck out eight of the last 10 hitters he faced and didn’t walk a batter in seven innings, but left with his team trailing 2-1.
ANGELS 1, TIGERS 0: Patrick Sandoval pitched a four-hitter for his first career shutout, and Los Angeles won at Detroit on Jared Walsh’s second-inning homer.
Sandoval (4-8) threw 97 pitches, struck out nine, walked none and didn’t allow a runner past first base as the Angels ended a three-game skid.
BRAVES 6, ASTROS 2: Austin Riley hit a three-run homer off Lance McCullers Jr., Kyle Wright won his 15th game to tie for the NL lead, and Atlanta beat visiting Houston in the teams’ first meeting since last year’s World Series.
The defending champion Braves have won 10 of 11 and are 51-20 since June 1, best in the majors over that span. AL-leading Houston had won six of eight and 10 of 15. The Astros are 41-21 since June 12.
METS 7, PHILLIES 2: Pete Alonso hit his 30th home run and surpassed 100 RBI, Sterling Marte stole home and New York continued its season-long mastery of visiting Philadelphia.
The NL East-leading Mets improved to 12-4 against the Phillies this season.
CUBS 8, BREWERS 7: Christopher Morel and Patrick Wisdom each hit a two-run homer and host Chicago got its fourth straight win.
Morel’s drive down the left-field line in the sixth inning put the Cubs ahead for good on a warm day with the wind blowing out at Wrigley Field. Nick Madrigal had three hits and scored twice for Chicago.
Milwaukee’s Andrew McCutchen connected for his third homer in two days, and Hunter Renfroe launched a majestic two-run drive off the video board in left.
Rowdy Tellez added a solo shot for the Brewers, who entered three games behind St. Louis in the NL Central and one game out of the final NL wild-card spot.
PIRATES 5, REDS 4: Michael Chavis hit a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth inning to cap a two-run rally and lift Pittsburgh over Cincinnati.
The Pirates tied it on Kevin Newman’s run-scoring double with one out. The Reds intentionally walked Bryan Reynolds to put runners on first and second and brought in left-handed reliever Ross Detwiler to replace Joel Kuhnel (2-2).
Detwiler hit Ben Gamel to load the bases, and Chavis lined a single into short left field.
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