Red Sox pitcher arrested for domestic assault
Red Sox starting pitcher Steven Wright was arrested and charged with domestic assault against his wife Friday night at their Tennessee home.
According to a statement attributed to the Wright family through lawyer Alex Little, Wright did not “raise his hand at anyone” in the incident with spouse Shannon.
“Steven was arrested at our home following a verbal argument, and the police charged him with domestic assault,” the statement to NBC Boston read. “Although he said things he deeply regrets, he did not raise his hand at anyone during the incident, and the situation was purely emotional. We are working together as a family to make our relationships stronger, and we ask that you respect our privacy as we do so.”
Wright is out of jail and has not commented. The Red Sox said they are aware of the situation and indicated MLB is investigating.
“We are aware of the incident involving Steven,” the team said in a statement. “This is certainly a matter that the Red Sox take very seriously. It is my understanding that both local police and Major League Baseball are looking into this and for that reason, the club won’t have any further comment at this time.”
The league has a Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy implemented last season, through which players such as Aroldis Chapman and Jeurys Familia have been suspended.
Wright, a 33-year-old knuckleballer, has been with Boston five seasons and was an All-Star in 2016. Last year he made just five starts before knee surgery ended his season.