New York Mets closer Jeurys Familia was suspended for 15 games Wednesday for violating baseball’s domestic violence policy.

The suspension was levied despite Commissioner Rob Manfred’s acknowledgment that the league’s investigation had not revealed any evidence of actual or threatened violence.

Instead, Manfred said, Familia merited suspension because his conduct was “inappropriate” and violated the policy.

Familia was arrested after an Oct. 31 incident in which he allegedly bruised and scratched his wife; a court complaint said an officer found “probable cause to believe that domestic violence had occurred.”


Although the couple had argued that night, his wife said he was not responsible for the bruise or the scratch. Charges were dropped after she said she did not wish to pursue them.

“I never physically touched, harmed or threatened my wife that evening,” Familia said in a statement Wednesday. “I did, however, act in an unacceptable manner and am terribly disappointed in myself. I am alone to blame for the problems of that evening.”

In his statement, Manfred said Familia has completed 12 90-minute counseling sessions and has agreed to “donate time and money” to organizations specializing in the prevention and treatment of domestic violence.

Familia has agreed not to appeal the unpaid suspension, which will cost him more than $700,000.


“The evidence reviewed by my office does not support a determination that Mr. Familia physically assaulted his wife,” Manfred said, “or threatened her or others with physical force .… Nevertheless, I have concluded that Mr. Familia’s conduct that night was inappropriate, violated the policy, and warrants discipline.”

Baseball’s domestic violence policy, adopted in 2015, differs from the sport’s drug policy in that there are no specific punishments. Under the domestic violence policy, the commissioner is empowered to impose “the discipline he believes is appropriate in light of the severity of the conduct.”

In practice, suspensions have been imposed after consultation with the Major League Baseball Players Assn., with the goal of reaching a settlement rather than risking an appeal hearing.

Familia is the fourth player to be suspended under the policy, with each suspension a different length. Hector Olivera was suspended 83 games, Jose Reyes 52 games and Aroldis Chapman 30 days.


Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig was not suspended after a league investigation cleared him of a domestic violence allegation.

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

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