Braves’ Marcell Ozuna Faces Another Possible Suspension After DUI Arrest

Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna is facing a charge of driving while under the influence after he was arrested early Friday morning. He told police officers that he was Marcell Ozuna from the Braves when they stopped him.

Ozuna was arrested in Atlanta and booked around 4:30 a.m. He was charged with DUI and failure to maintain lane and later released on bond.

Before the Braves faced the Houston Astros Ozuna told reporters:

“I disappointed my team,” he said. “I disappointed my family. I don’t have anything to say more. It’s a legal matter.”

The Braves released a statement saying:

“The Atlanta Braves are aware of Marcell Ozuna’s arrest this morning and are still gathering all the facts pertaining to the incident,” the team said in a statement. “Our organization takes these matters very seriously and are obviously disappointed by the situation. As this is a legal matter, we will have no further comment until the process is complete.”

Ozuna was not in Friday’s lineup. He has missed a string of games due to poor performance, according to the Braves.

Major League Baseball has a lax DUI suspension history. Many former players have faced no suspension, including Miguel Cabrera, Shin-Soo Choo, Danny Duffy, and Yovani Gallardo, who were all arrested for DUI.

The NBA and NFL have been tougher on DUI related incidents than MLB. However, Ozuna’s recent arrest and suspension provide an opportunity for MLB to toughen its stance on DUI.

Ozuna, who is 31, was recently arrested in May of 2021 after police officers walked in on him with his hands on his wife. He was charged with aggravated assault by strangulation and battery but struck a deal and the charges were later dropped as part of his participation in a pretrial diversion program. The program required him to complete courses for anger management, family violence and community service.

Ozuna missed Atlanta’s World Series championship run while he waited for MLB to complete its investigation and faced a 20 game suspension under the league’s domestic violence policy.

He had promised his fans that he would be a better person.

“My fans, I’m going to give you the best and I’m going to be a better person, and I’m sorry,” Ozuna said at spring training after his prior arrest.

Ozuna is in the second year of a four-year contract with the Braves, worth $65 million dollars. In 2020, he led the National League with 18 home-runs and 56 RBIs, but has struggled as of late.

This season, he is hitting .214 with 20 home-runs and 46 RBIs.

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