Major League Baseball put Cubs shortstop Addison Russell on administrative leave pursuant to its domestic violence policy the other day. The thought at the time was that the move was made solely because Russell’s ex-wife, Melisa Reidy, had written a blog post reiterating past claims of domestic violence. As Ken Rosenthal reports, however, that’s not all they had:
Reidy’s allegations alone, once assessed by MLB, would likely be enough to warrant Russell a suspension. That there is more out there would seem to make the case against him even stronger. The upshot: I think it’s extraordinarily unlikely that Russell will be back with the Cubs this year.
The post alone would not have been enough for baseball to force Russell off the field under its joint domestic violence policy with the players’ union. The league had additional credible information, according to sources familiar with its investigation.
The league’s investigation includes interviews with Reidy and numerous other witnesses, and with officials gathering additional information since Russell went on leave, sources said.
Reidy’s allegations alone, once assessed by MLB, would likely be enough to warrant Russell a suspension. That there is more out there would seem to make the case against him even stronger. The upshot: I think it’s extraordinarily unlikely that Russell will be back with the Cubs this year.
