Fact Check: Was Marcell Ozuna suspended by MLB in 2021 for hitting his wife?

Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves has had his share of suspensions by the MLB. The reason was that he was involved in domestic violence against his wife Genesis Guzman.

The whole incident occurred on May 29, 2021, in Sandy Springs, Georgia. Police responded to an "assault in progress" call to Marcell Ozuna's house. According to the bodycam footage obtained from the first officer on the scene, it showed that Ozuna was grabbing his wife's neck with his right hand in the entryway. Another unidentified person was also present at the scene.

However, at the officer's command, Ozuna lets go of his wife and then lay on the ground with his hands behind his back.

For his actions, MLB implemented a 20-game suspension on Marcell Ozuna. Regarding the incident, Rob Manfred stated at the time:

"My office has completed its investigations into the allegations that Marcell Ozuna violated Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Child Abuse Policy. Having reviewed the totality of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Ozuna has violated our policy and that discipline is appropriate." (via Sports Illustrated)

However, in July 2021, the prosecutors reviewed the bodycam footage of the incident and reduced his charges to a pair of misdemeanors. Ozuna was considered to be eligible to return to play at the beginning of the 2022 season, having served his suspension. He apologized to his teammates and to his fans.

Thus, Marcell Ozuna was suspended by the MLB for hitting his wife in 2021.

Marcell Ozuna - Will Smith incident

Marcell Ozuna found himself in new trouble at the Atlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Dodgers game on Monday. During the fourth inning of the game, Ozuna was batting while Gavin Stone was pitching. Ozuna hit a fly ball with an exaggerated left swing that hit Will Smith on the head. Although Ozuna was apologetic for his actions, Smith was clearly quite unhappy with the situation and told Ozuna to clean it up.

Furthermore, Smith alleged that this was the fifth time Ozuna had hit him in the head with his bat. However, one positive outcome was that the situation was immediately brought under control before it could erupt into a brawl. The game was eventually won by the Dodgers, 8-6.

Marcell Ozuna is expected to learn from the incident and be more cautious in the future to avoid injuring anyone while playing in the game.