Astros' Roberto Osuna Agrees to Peace Bond, Assault Charge Withdrawn
The domestic assault charge against Roberto Osuna was withdrawn on Tuesday after the Houston Astros closer agreed to a peace bond in Ontario provincial court.
Osuna, who attended the hearing in Toronto, must follow a series of conditions for one year or face criminal charges, which would carry a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison. The peace bond requires him to have no contact with the alleged victim for one year.
"I am pleased and relieved by today's court decision," Osuna said in a statement. "Now I can begin to put these allegations behind me and focus on baseball. I want to thank my family, teammates and fans for believing in me. I am grateful to the Astros for providing me with the opporutnity to play baseball and compete for a World Series championship. I will make no further comments about this matter, as I plan on moving past this and look only to the future."
Houston also released a statement, saying that they "look forward to Roberto continuing his commitment to be a productive and caring part of our community."
"The Astros remain committed to increase our support regarding the issues of domestic violence and abuse of any kind," the team said in a statement. "We have engaged with a number of local, state, and national orgainization - and we look forward to working with them in the short term and over the long term."
Osuna, 23, was charged with assault in May in an alleged domestic violence incident while still a member of the Toronto Blue Jays. Major League Baseball suspended the closer for 75 games without pay for violating its domestic violence policy.
Osuna was traded to Houston in July and was received by a chorus of boos in Toronto on Monday during his first appearance as an Astro.
