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New York Yankees relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman has accepted his 30 game suspension by Major League Baseball’s commissioner, Rob Manfred, under the league’s newly instituted domestic violence policy for his part in an alleged incident in October. Chapman will not appeal the decision, even after he defended himself last week, telling reporters in Spanish that he would fight any suspension because he’s never hurt anyone in his life.
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,“ Chapman said in a statement. “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.
Chapman was investigated for allegedly putting his hand around his girlfriend’s throat and firing eight shots into a wall in his garage during the incident. He was not charged due to a lack of evidence, conflicting stories, and failure of witnesses to cooperate and the investigation was closed. He is the first player to be suspended under the new policy, instituted by the MLB after several domestic violence incidents in the NFL caused massive controversy. He will be allowed to play in spring training and preseason games with his suspension starting on Opening Day. He will be eligible to return May 9.
