MLB will not discipline Twins' Miguel Sano; Red Sox's Steven Wright gets 15-game suspension
Major League Baseball issued one of its most significant rulings in the three years of its domestic violence policy, announcing Friday that Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano will not be disciplined after a photographer accused him of assault.
Meanwhile, Boston Red Sox pitcher Steven Wright will serve a 15-game suspension for a December incident in which police were called to the Tennessee home he shares with his wife.
Wright insisted that he "did not touch" his wife during the incident, but MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement: "While it is clear that Mr. Wright regrets what transpired that evening, takes full responsibility for his actions, and has committed himself to the treatment and counseling components of the Policy, I have concluded that Mr. Wright’s conduct on December 8th violated the Policy and warrants discipline."
Sano, 24, was accused by Minneapolis-based freelance photographer Betsy Bissen of grabbing her wrist and trying to force her into a bathroom in 2015. After Bissen shared details about the alleged incident in a December tweet, Sano responded that it "never happened."
Bissen's allegations came amid a wave of women coming forward in late 2017 as part of the #MeToo movement as they recounted previously undisclosed incidents of assault and indecent behavior by men in power.
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Bissen said in a December message on Twitter that Sano "did not rape me, but he sure did assault me" as they left a Minnetonka mall following an autograph-signing event that included what she termed "unreciprocated flirting" from the 6-4, 260-pound All-Star.
"Apparently I was too close, and the athlete took that as a signal that I wanted him to grab me and try to take me back thru the door,” Bissen wrote. “I pulled back as he held onto my wrist. It hurt, how badly he was grasping at my wrist, but he wouldn’t let go. I wasn’t going to give up my fight though. He then leaned down and tried to kiss me, more than once. Every time he did, I said no and kept pulling back.
“I was in a squatted position with my wrist throbbing. I screamed, no one came to help me. He finally gave up after a solid ten (minutes) of fighting to pull me thru that door. I don’t even want to think of what he may have done, had he got me thru that door.
“The next day, my body was sore all over from having to fight off this athlete that thought he was entitled to take advantage of me against my will.”
MLB's decision, the statement said, came after "interviews of more than 20 individuals, including Sanó and the complainant, as well as a review of available documents, including communication records.
"At the conclusion of the investigation, the Office of the Commissioner found that there was insufficient evidence to support a disciplinary determination against Sanó, due to conflicting and inconsistent witness accounts and the absence of contemporaneous substantiation."
MLB's domestic violence policy, enacted in September 2015, states that it can impose discipline on athletes even without criminal convictions. Wright's suspension and those of Jose Reyes, Jeurys Familia and Aroldis Chapman all occurred following police intervention, though none of the players were charged, often after spouses or significant others opted not to cooperate with criminal investigations.
Free agent catcher Derek Norris, now with the Detroit Tigers, was banned by MLB the remainder of the 2017 season in September - approximately 30 games - after his ex-fiancee reported she was threatened and assaulted by Norris.
Said Sano, in a statement released by the MLB Players' Association: "I want to thank Major League Baseball for conducting a thorough investigation and I’m happy to put this behind me. I look forward to focusing on the upcoming season and playing alongside my teammates. I want to thank my family, friends, the Players Association, the Minnesota Twins and my fans for their continued support."
A season-ending knee injury limited Wright, 33, to five major league starts in 2017. The knuckleballer was a strong candidate to serve as the Red Sox's fifth starter. He's eligible to return April 16 against the Baltimore Orioles and expects to be ready to pitch.
“This is definitely something I did to myself,'' Wright said, "but once the suspension starts I’m just going to keep working to get ready for the season and just go from there.’’
