Aroldis Chapman receives 30 game suspension from MLB

New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has been suspended 30 games for violating Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy, Billy Witz of the New York Times reported. 

This suspension is stemming from an incident last October, as Jeff Passan and Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports reported. He allegedly choked his girlfriend and pushed her up against a wall. Chapman also allegedly discharged a gun in the garage of his home. 

Chapman was not arrested and no charges were brought against him, though the league still investigated the incident and commissioner Rob Manfred decided on his discipline. 

Chapman released a statement, via Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports on Facebook, saying that he will not appeal Major League Baseball's decision:

"I want to be clear, I did not in any way harm my girlfriend that evening. However, I should have exercised better judgment with respect to certain actions, and for that I am sorry. The decision to accept a suspension, as opposed to appealing one, was made after careful consideration. I made this decision in an effort to minimize the distractions that an appeal would cause the Yankees, my new teammates and most importantly, my family."

Chapman, 28, was acquired by the Yankees this offseason in a trade with the Reds. 

Last year, the former Cuban signee went 4-4 with a minuscule 1.63 ERA (1.94 FIP; 2.49 xFIP) and a 116 to 33 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 66 1/3 innings pitched. He saved 33 games in 36 opportunities, and, according to FanGraphs, he was worth 2.5 Wins Above Replacement.

Major League Baseball and Manfred now must turn their attention to other domestic violence cases. 

Rockies' shortstop Jose Reyes is currently on paid leave after allegedly striking his wife. He is set for a trial in Hawaii. This Chapman decision will almost certainly impact how Manfred decides future cases. 

​--Devan Fink

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