MLB Star Arrested, Charged with Assaulting His Girlfriend
Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera was arrested late Monday night and charged with assaulting his girlfriend.
The incident occurred in Atlantic City, New Jersey, at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino, NJ.com reported. The Phillies had Memorial Day off before beginning a three-game home series with the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.
The Atlantic City Police Department said officers responded to a report of domestic violence at the casino and found Herrera’s 20-year-old girlfriend with “visible signs of injury to her arms and neck that was sustained after being assaulted by her boyfriend.”
Officers said they found Herrera in his room, which is where the assault allegedly occurred. They arrested him on a charge of simple assault.
Upon hearing the news, the Phillies reported the arrest to MLB, which placed Herrera on administrative leave.
The #Phillies statement on Odubel Herrera’s arrest: pic.twitter.com/JFlJFmUce9
— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) May 28, 2019
The woman declined medical attention when the officers showed up, and Herrera was arrested without incident, according to the police report. He was given a summons and released.
Herrera is in his fifth MLB season and has been the Phillies’ starting center fielder since 2015.
He has struggled at the plate this season, hitting just .222. Herrera’s dipping average has been a troubling trend for the Phillies as it has declined each of his five seasons in the majors.
May has been especially brutal for the 27-year-old: He’s hitting just .175 after hitting .270 in March and April. Because of his struggles, Herrera has been dropped to No. 7 or No. 8 in the Philadelphia lineup after starting the season hitting sixth.
Herrera is in the second year of a five-year contract that runs through the 2021 season. He has additional team options for the 2022-23 seasons and is making $5.35 million this year.
If the Phillies are without Herrera for an extended period, it would create a domino effect for their outfield.
Andrew McCutchen has played the next-most innings in center field this season for Philadelphia, but the former Gold Glove winner has been used mostly in a corner outfield spot in recent years because of his decreasing range.
Another option for center field is Bryce Harper, but he has also historically struggled with playing that position.
Harper manned center field for the Washington Nationals last season for nearly 500 innings but posted minus-10 defensive runs saved.
The only other Philly with significant experience at the position is utility man Roman Quinn. He’s played over 300 innings in center field but is on the injured list with a groin strain.
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