Phillies' Herrera on leave after domestic violence arrest

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera was placed on leave on Tuesday after being arrested for domestic violence at an Atlantic City casino, the team said in a statement.

The Phillies said the franchise had referred the case to Major League Baseball as soon as they were made aware of Herrera's arrest, which occurred on Monday.

Major League Baseball informed the Phillies Herrera has been placed on leave.

"The Phillies take any domestic violence accusation seriously, and strongly support the joint domestic violence policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLB Players Association," the Phillies said in a statement.

Earlier, Atlantic City police said in a statement Herrera had been arrested after a report of domestic violence at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino on Monday.

Officers had found a 20-year-old woman from Philadelphia at the location with visible signs of injury to her arms and neck which had been inflicted by Herrera during a dispute.

Herrera was arrested in his hotel room and charged with simple assault before being released.

Under MLB rules, Herrera can expect to be on leave for seven days as the league investigates the case, although the period can be extended.

The 27-year-old Venezuelan center-fielder has had a modest start to the season this year, batting at .222 with one home run and 16 RBIs in 39 games.

Domestic violence cases in baseball can lead to lengthy suspensions since the MLB implemented a fixed policy in 2015.

San Diego Padres pitcher Jose Torres was banned for 100 games in 2018 while Roberto Osuna was handed a 75-game suspension while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays last year.

? 2019 AFP