[ad_1]
Russell has been placed on extended administrative leave as part of an ongoing family violence investigation.
Major League Baseball extended the administrative leave of Addison Russell against the Cubs until Sunday, reports ESPN.
The 24-year-old has been the subject of a spousal violence investigation conducted by the MLB since June 2017. At the initial opening of the league's investigation, he was arrested. last year, Russell was sent home by the Cubs. Russell returned to the team while the investigation remained open.
New allegations surfaced Thursday night when a blog post attributed to Russell's ex-wife, Melisa Reidy, the alleged victim, was shared on her Instagram account. The post-detailed years of domestic violence, including physical, emotional and verbal abuse, in the hands of an anonymous ex-husband. Russell is not named in the post, and his ex-wife is also not cited as author, but the information contained in the blog matches Reidy's earlier public allegations against Russell.
The shortstop was put on administrative leave last Friday after the publication of the message. Under the collective agreement, a player may be placed on paid administrative leave for seven days, which may be extended to an additional week. The MLB would have decided to extend Russell's holiday until Sunday, the last day of the regular season.
Reidy did not speak with Major League Baseball as part of the initial investigation, but ESPN added that she was now cooperating with the league, by source.
Cubs director Joe Maddon said on Wednesday he had finally read the blog post, after keeping his distance during the ongoing investigation.
"Domestic violence is horrible," said Maddon. "As you read this, you feel his pain, absolutely, but I do not know enough on the other side that I expect the full report to be published and that we can all come to a conclusion. "
The Cubs clinched a playoff spot on Wednesday night, but Russell's availability for the playoffs remains unknown.
Source link
