Philadelphia Phillies Outfielder Herrera Arrested for Domestic Violence at Atlantic City Casino

Posted on: May 28, 2019, 02:42h. 

Last updated on: May 28, 2019, 02:42h.

Steve Bittenbender Read More
Expertise: Legislation, Sports Betting, Horse Racing.

Odubel Herrera, an outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies, has been placed on leave by Major League Baseball after police arrested him Monday in a domestic violence case at an Atlantic City, N.J. casino.

Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Odubel Herrera was arrested Monday by police in Atlantic City, N.J. on domestic violence charges. Major League Baseball placed him on administrative leave on Tuesday. (Image: Chicago Tribune)

According to a statement the Atlantic City Police Department released on Tuesday, officers responded to a Monday night call at the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino. They found the alleged victim, a 20-year-old female, talking with casino security staff.

The victim has visible signs of injury on her arms and neck that was sustained after being assaulted by her boyfriend,” the statement read.

Officers stated she declined medical treatment.

Authorities released Herrera after charging him with assault. He received a summons to return for a court appearance. That date has not been set.

Philadelphia did not play a game on Memorial Day. Herrera, a Venezuelan native, has played in 39 of the Phillies’ 53 games this season, with 32 starts. After setting career highs with 22 home runs and 71 runs batted in last season, he’s hit just .222 with one home run and 16 runs driven in as he missed more than two weeks of the season with a hamstring injury.

Placed on Administrative Leave

Early Tuesday afternoon, the Phillies organization issued a statement saying club officials first heard about the incident Tuesday morning. They then reported it to MLB officials, who placed the 27-year-old on administrative leave.

“The Phillies take any domestic violence accusation seriously, and strongly support the Joint Domestic Violence Policy agreed upon by MLB and the MLBPA,” the team’s statement read.

Professional sports leagues in the US have placed greater emphasis in recent years on disciplining or suspending athletes arrested in domestic violence cases.

Last September, baseball officials suspended Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell 40 games without pay for violating the league’s policy on domestic abuse. That same month, the National Hockey League issued a 27-game ban – later reduced by an arbitrator to 18 games – against Nashville Predators forward Austin Watson after he entered a no contest plea in a domestic violence case two months prior.

In March, the National Football League suspended Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt for half the season after he was involved in two separate domestic violence incidents last year. Hunt agreed not to appeal the eight-game ban.

Phillies Among Betting Favorites

While Herrera has been slumping, especially since returning from injury, Philadelphia has maintained its lead in the National League East. At 31-22, the Phillies hold a 1.5-game lead over Atlanta in the division and have the second-best record in the National League behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Many expected the Phillies to contend for the playoffs this season because they signed Bryce Harper to one of the richest free agent contracts in late February.

Last week, the Westgate SuperBook updated its World Series odds, listing the Phillies at 14-1.

FanDuel currently lists the Phillies at +1000 odds to win the World Series, making them the fourth choice on its board. Those odds may be a reflection of the interest in the Phillies in FanDuel’s market, which includes a sportsbook in Philadelphia and an online presence in neighboring New Jersey.

PointsBet, which also has an online presence in New Jersey, also lists the Phillies at +1000.