Yankees’ Chapman Suspended 30 Games

Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman accepted a 30-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball’s new domestic violence policy, MLB announced Tuesday.

Chapman agreed not to appeal the suspension, levied as a result of an alleged domestic violence incident involving his girlfriend last October.

Chapman will be allowed to participate in spring training and the suspension will begin on Opening Day. The earliest he can return is May 9 against Kansas City.

Chapman will lose 30 days of pay—$1,857,377.05—and 30 days of major league service time, but will still qualify for free agency after the season. Had he been suspended more than 46 days, he would not have qualified for free agency and still be under the Yankees’ control for 2017.

The suspension is the first under MLB’s new Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Commissioner Rob Manfred last week placed Jose Reyes—also being investigated under the new policy—on paid leave as Reyes’ domestic violence charge is being adjudicated. Yasiel Puig also could be suspended under the new policy following a fight in a bar in Miami in November.

In a statement, Manfred said, “I asked my staff to conduct a comprehensive investigation of the incident involving Aroldis Chapman on Oct. 30, 2015. 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.”

The players’ union, in a statement, said it supported Chapman for accepting the penalty.

“The Major League Baseball Players Association and its members do not condone the mistreatment of others by playing or non-playing personnel,” the statement read. “At the same time, the MLBPA remains committed to protecting and ensuring the rights granted to players under the applicable provisions of the sport’s new Joint Policy on Domestic Violence. As such, the MLBPA supports Mr. Chapman’s decision to forgo his right to an appeal.”

In a statement, Chapman said he accepted the punishment in order to “minimize … distractions.”

“I want to be clear, I did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening,” the statement read. “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 suspension stems from an incident involving Chapman and his girlfriend, Christina Barnea. On Oct. 30 in Miami, Chapman allegedly pushed and choked Barnea, then fired eight shots from a gun inside his garage. Prosecutors in Florida declined to file criminal charges against Chapman, saying insufficient evidence made a conviction unlikely. However, MLB at the time said its investigation of the incident was continuing.

With the suspension, the Yankees lose, at least at the beginning of the season, their three-headed, monster bullpen. In Chapman’s absence, Andrew Miller slides back into the closer’s role after saving 36 games a year ago with a 1.90 ERA, while Dellin Betances and his 14 strikeouts per nine innings will set up Miller.

The Cuban lefthander, meanwhile, threw the 62 fastest pitches in the big leagues in 2015, according to Statcast. His fastest pitches ranged from 102.36 mph to 103.92 mph and his four-seamer averaged—averaged!—100 mph, according to FanGraphs’ Pitch F/X.

In a statement, the Yankees said they, “support the decision made by the commissioner today. We are pleased that Aroldis has accepted this discipline.”

One national women’s advocacy group, however, said more needs to be done.

“Domestic violence has no place in professional sports of any kind and no player, no matter how fast or well he throws a baseball, should go unpunished for these crimes,” Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet, said in a statement. “Chapman’s suspension is a step in the right direction but the MLB has a long way to go before fans can feel like domestic abuse will no longer be tolerated in baseball.”