Astros' Roberto Osuna completes domestic violence suspension requirements

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Monday, August 6, 2018
Astros release statement backing Robert Osuna as he joins the team
Astros release statement backing Robert Osuna as he joins the team

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Houston Astros' new right-hand pitcher Roberto Osuna has been reinstated after completing his suspension requirements

With Lance McCullers Jr. placed on the 10-day disabled list due to right elbow discomfort, the team announced they would be reinstating Roberto Osuna in place of McCullers.

Osuna, who was recently traded to the Astros, was placed on domestic violence suspension for the accusation of assaulting a woman in May.

MLB retroactively instituted the suspension on May 8 when he was arrested, with the ban expiring on Aug. 4.

In a release from the Astros, Osuna was reinstated to after completing his MLB domestic violence program.

The Houston Astros released the following statement regarding Roberto Osuna:

On August 4th, Roberto Osuna willfully and successfully completed his MLB domestic violence program requirements. Because of the ongoing legal proceedings, very little can be said about the incident itself or the case involving Roberto.

Our decision to acquire Roberto was based on the entirety of the information that we gathered during our extensive evaluation. That included as much information as we could gather about the specific incident and the charges that were filed but it also included as much information as we could gather about his actions before and after the incident, as well as his personal reputation among his former teammates and coaches. The information regarding this specific incident weighed heavily on our decision but when evaluating the entirety of the information, we felt that Roberto deserved a second chance.

We are now focused on ensuring that Roberto makes a positive impact off the field while he is a member of the Houston Astros. We are providing Roberto with the benefit of a great clubhouse and organization as a supportive environment for this fresh start. We welcome being held accountable for all of our personnel decisions. Time will tell which ones were right and wrong. We believe that Roberto will not let us down. If there is any type of issue in the future, we will take immediate and decisive action - it will not be tolerated.

This was an extremely difficult decision for our organization. We understood that it would cause significant debate. We are strong believers in protecting the rights of victims and remain committed to having a positive impact on our community. We will use this decision to significantly increase our support, raise awareness, and influence change regarding the issues of domestic violence and abuse of any kind. We have engaged with Houston Area Women's Center, Texas Council on Family Violence, and National Network to End Domestic Violence and look forward to working with them. We passionately maintain our commitment to our fans and the city of Houston. We have always been and will continue to be strong corporate citizens for our community.