The New York Yankees won't have pitcher Aroldis Chapman for the first 30 games of the season. The MLB suspended Chapman for 30 games as a result of a domestic violence incident. Chapman was suspended under the league's new domestic violence policy.
"I asked my staff to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the incident involving Aroldis Chapman on October 30, 2015," MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said. "Much of the information regarding the incident has been made public through documents released by law enforcement. Mr. Chapman submitted to an in-person interview with counsel present. After reviewing the staff report, I found Mr. Chapman's acknowledged conduct on that day to be inappropriate under the negotiated Policy, particularly his use of a firearm and the impact of that behavior on his partner. I am gratified that Mr. Chapman has taken responsibility for his conduct, that he has agreed not to appeal the 30-game suspension, and that he has agreed to comply with the confidential directives of the Joint Policy Board established under the parties' Policy to ensure that a similar incident does not occur in the future."
Chapman accepted the suspension in a statement he released.
"Today, I accepted a 30 game suspension from Major League Baseball resulting from my actions on October 30, 2015," Chapman said in a statement. "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. 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."
The first reports of Chapman's domestic violence incidents came out as the Cincinnati Reds were attempting to trade their star closer. A deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers fell through, in part because of that incident. The Yankees eventually traded for Chapman this offseason, knowing a suspension was possible.
Chapman's suspension is only for the regular season. He's eligible to participate and practice with the team throughout spring training.
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