Major League Baseball announced on Wednesday that Chicago Cubs infielder Addison Russell will be suspended 40 games for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy. The suspension will be retroactive to Sept. 21, the day Russell was placed on administrative leave. Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced today that Chicago Cubs infielder Addison Russell has accepted a 40-game suspension without pay for violating Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. The unpaid suspension of Russell is retroactive to September 21st. Russell has agreed not to appeal the discipline. Consistent with the terms of the Policy, Russell will participate in a confidential and comprehensive evaluation and treatment program supervised by the Joint Policy Board. Commissioner Manfred issued the following statement regarding the discipline: “My office has completed its investigation into the allegations that Addison Russell violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Russell violated the Policy and should be subject to discipline in the form of an unpaid suspension that will cover 40 games.” Major League Baseball has suspended Addison Russell 40 games for violating MLB’s domestic violence policy. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images) Russell was initially put on administrative leave after his ex-wife, Melisa Reidy, published a blog post that detailed years of physical and mental abuse she endured from her spouse. Reidy chose not to name her spouse in the post, but Russell and Reidy were married from 2016 until 2018, and the two had a child together in 2015. While Reidy’s blog post was the first time she had spoken publicly about being abused by her husband, there was a previous allegation that surfaced over a year ago. When Reidy filed for divorce from Russell in June 2017, she posted a photo of herself to Instagram with the caption “Being free to be able to make your own choices for your own happiness beats being cheated on, lied to, & disrespected any day.” In the comments one of Reidy’s friends accused Russell of hitting Reidy in front of his children. Story continues That Instagram comment triggered a MLB investigation, but at that time Reidy wasn’t ready to speak with MLB. The investigation went dormant, but it wasn’t closed. Reidy’s recent blog post caused MLB to restart their investigation into the abuse allegations, and Reidy agreed to cooperate and speak to MLB investigators. Russell missed 12 games while he was on administrative leave, and those will count toward his suspension. He will serve the remaining 28 games at the start of the 2019 season. He’s under contract with the Cubs until 2020. – – – – – – Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter at @lizroscher. More from Yahoo Sports: • Passan: Where do Cubs go after embarrassing postseason exit? • The unlikely hero that saved the Rockies season • Dodgers aren’t starting Kershaw in Game 1 • MLB postseason field is set: Here’s the schedule and how to watch<doc-sep>CHICAGO — Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was suspended for 40 games on Wednesday for violating Major League Baseball’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. His ex-wife made a series of allegations against him in a blog post last month that prompted M.L.B. to place Russell on administrative while it investigated the accusations. The punishment was announced by Commissioner Rob Manfred, who indicated that M.L.B. had concluded its investigation into the matter and that Russell had accepted the suspension. The ban is retroactive to Sept. 21, and Russell missed the Cubs’ final 11 games. Their season ended on Tuesday in a 13-inning, 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rockies in the National League wild-card game. [M.L.B. Playoffs 2018: Follow our live coverage of Yankees vs. Athletics] Initially, Russell denied the allegations made by his ex-wife, Melisa Reidy, but in a statement on Wednesday he said he had “gained better understanding” of the situation. Theo Epstein, the team’s president of baseball operations, said he wasn’t sure whether Russell would ever wear a Cubs uniform again.<doc-sep>Chicago Cubs infielder Addison Russell has received a 40-game suspension after the league investigated allegations of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife back in September. Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the decision to suspend Russell on Wednesday after the league completed its own investigation into Melisa Reidy’s claims that her then-husband subjected her to “emotional, verbal abuse,” escalating to “abusive behavior.” MLB has said it began an investigation last year after allegations against Russell first became public, but Reidy declined to talk to investigators because she decided it was not in her family's best interests. On Sept. 19, she took to a personal blog to share, in detail, harrowing details of alleged abuse. “You don’t realize it, but its a sick mind game that you get sucked into – All your source of happiness somehow is controlled by that one person, depending on how they decide to treat you on a daily basis,” she wrote. Reidy said that Russell often called her names and was unfaithful. She said that he once told her he wished she had more sexual partners before him so that she might "knew what I was doing.” “Along with being cheated on with so many different women, I lost all self confidence within myself. I never felt good enough to keep him happy at home, emotionally & sexually.” — Melisa Reidy Reidy said that her husband became physically abusive in arguments, many times when he was “under the influence.” She eventually made the decision to leave sometime in April 2017. Less than 12 hours after her post was published, MLB announced that Russell had been put in leave under the organization's domestic violence policy. Wednesday’s ban includes the 11 regular-season games he missed after being placed on administrative leave Sept. 21. Russell will be eligible to return on May 3 against St. Louis, barring any postponements, and he will not appeal the suspension. He will also participate in an evaluation and treatment program. He has previously denied the allegations. The Associated Press contributed this report.<doc-sep>Major League Baseball has suspended Cubs shortstop Addison Russell 40 games for violating the league’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. In 2017, Russell’s now ex-wife, Melisa Reidy-Russell, said in a since-deleted Instagram post that she was leaving her husband because of his infidelity. In a separate post, a commenter—described by Reidy-Russell as a close friend—said the Cubs shortstop had been not only unfaithful but abusive. MLB began an investigation then, but didn’t take disciplinary action at the time. Two weeks ago, Reidy-Russell wrote a blog post detailing the physical, emotional, and psychological abuse she’d suffered, and the league placed Russell on administrative leave, pending further investigation. Russell proclaimed his innocence in a statement when he was placed on leave but will not appeal the suspension. The details of the suspension aren’t the important part of this case. In fact, this process is so common that it’s taken on a tragic roteness. The 40-game ban—which is retroactive to the start of Russell’s time on administrative leave, September 21—will invite comments about how MLB punishes first-time PED violations more harshly than players suspended under its domestic violence policy. It also raises questions about how Russell’s case is different from that of Astros closer Roberto Osuna, who earned a 75-game suspension—does MLB believe that there’s some sort of graduated scale of badness for intimate partner violence? We’ll talk about whether letting Russell back into baseball trivializes Reidy-Russell’s suffering, or that of fans who have themselves been abused. And those fans are more numerous than most people realize; according to the CDC, about one in four women and one in seven men experience some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. Many fans will register their outrage at the Cubs and Major League Baseball for allowing Russell back next spring. Even in the face of evidence that a zero-tolerance domestic violence policy would decrease reporting and endanger victims, a 40-game suspension feels insufficient. The anger over the inadequate suspension is both understandable and to the benefit of the game, its players, and society as a whole—as frustrating as MLB’s handling of cases like Russell’s can be, the league is only as proactive as it is because covering up violence against women (however clumsily it’s done) is a bigger PR problem than confronting the issue. The truth is, MLB will never come up with a satisfactory domestic violence punishment structure because it’s an entertainment company that’s had a comprehensive societal failure fall into its lap. As long as men assault women, and as long as our society reflexively protects the powerful, Major League Baseball will be unable to punish those transgressions in a way that satisfies both the need for education and compassion among the public and the desire to punish people who do evil things. Ideally, this would be the province of the legal system, but domestic violence cases are hard to prosecute because they require the victim to come forward and tell their side of the story—which is humiliating under the best of circumstances, and frequently dangerous or impossible. Even reporting abuse is difficult—law enforcement officers, who themselves commit domestic violence at a rate at least twice that of the general population, can be unsympathetic, and even if law enforcement pursues the case, it can mean breaking up a marriage or a family. Russell will return to baseball and carry the stigma of an abuser, at least for a while. The Colorado Rockies jettisoned José Reyes after his own domestic violence suspension in 2016, and the Mets picked the four-time All-Star up and paraded him around like a beloved returning son for two and a half years. Some Cubs fans will view this whole business as an inconvenience or a conspiracy against their favorite team. Some opposing fans will use it as banter, proof that their team is more righteous and that the Cubs are The Bad Guys, which might be worse. Don’t bother waiting for retributive justice—we’ve been down this road too many times to hold out hope that it’s coming. But in one crucial respect, this case is different from most other domestic violence cases: MLB renewed its investigation because Reidy-Russell came forward and told her side of the story, which very rarely happens; she told the story in her own words in a blog post and again a week later in an interview with Jesse Rogers of ESPN. It’s not fair expect this of all survivors. Recounting such a traumatic story, even in confidence to a friend or a therapist, requires confronting incredibly unsettling emotions and memories. Sharing it with the world takes phenomenal courage. And as much as laying this story out for public consumption might help Reidy-Russell heal, it comes at a cost. Reidy-Russell’s post from two weeks ago is the only thing on her site, and whatever else she does, she’ll be remembered for something she suffered rather than anything she did. We should be grateful that Reidy-Russell chose to be so candid, because her post and her comments to Rogers are an incredible account of what it’s like to be battered and gaslighted by someone you love, and what it does to you. Read them and you’ll begin to understand that she suffered not just physical abuse and emotional manipulation, but a profound betrayal of trust—and why that distinction is important. Then read the 2015 Sports Illustrated article by Michael McKnight and L. Jon Wertheim on how former big league outfielder Milton Bradley terrorized his late wife, Monique, over the course of a decade. Then read this Q&A in The Athletic between Cubs beat reporter Sahadev Sharma and author and journalist Jessica Luther, who’s reported extensively on violence against women in sports, on how sportswriters can report on domestic violence more thoughtfully and what “asking the right questions” even means. In the absence of adequate retributive justice from the league or the law, we can count only on our own individual ability to learn and affect change. To change the way we talk, or think, what questions we ask as reporters or what jokes we make among friends—or allow others to make.<doc-sep>
Chicago Cubs shortstop Addison Russell, amid domestic violence allegations, has been suspended 40 games for violating Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, commissioner Rob Manfred announced Wednesday. "My office has completed its investigation into the allegations that Addison Russell violated Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy," Manfred said in a statement. "Having reviewed all of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Russell violated the Policy and should be subject to discipline in the form of an unpaid suspension that will cover 40 games." Russell has accepted the suspension, which is retroactive to Sept. 21, and will not appeal, the statement said. He also will participate in a confidential and comprehensive evaluation and treatment program, which will be supervised by MLB's Joint Policy Board. Russell, who has denied the allegations, was placed on administrative leave Sept. 21, after his ex-wife, Melisa Reidy, reiterated claims of domestic abuse. "After gaining a full understanding of the situation, I have concluded it's in the best interest of my family to accept MLB's proposed resolution of this matter," Russell said in a statement released by his attorneys Wednesday. "I wish my ex-wife well and hope we can live in peace for the benefit of our child." Said Reidy: "I'm so relieved it's over. Now I can focus on helping more women." Russell would be eligible to play on May 3 of next season, barring any postponements. He already missed 11 regular-season games this year after being placed on administrative leave. "Clearly we support MLB's finding and Addy's decision to accept the suspension," Cubs president Theo Epstein said Wednesday. "We all have an obligation to be part of the solution. Discipline is part of the solution, so we support MLB's decision, but prevention is also part of the solution. "It's our obligation to see what we can do better going forward. To see what we can do to prevent this from ever happening again." Russell was not on the wild-card roster as the Cubs were eliminated at home by the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday night. Epstein was asked if Russell will return for the Cubs next season. Russell would become a free agent this offseason if the Cubs do not tender him a contract. "I don't know," Epstein said. "With all of our words and actions going forward, whether we know it or not, we're sending messages to our fans. "The victim deserves our outreach and our support. That will be forthcoming, very quickly. Addy should not be completely dismissed. He needs our help moving forward as well." MLB had started an investigation last year after allegations first became public. Reidy had posted a photo on her Instagram account with a caption suggesting her husband of about 18 months had been unfaithful to her. In another post, a user -- described by Reidy as a close friend -- claimed Russell had "hit" his wife. The post was later deleted. Reidy declined to talk to MLB at the time, because she decided it was not in her family's best interests, her attorney, Thomas Field, said last year. Last month, a blog post attributed to Reidy described more detailed allegations, including years of physical and emotional abuse. Less than 12 hours later, MLB announced Russell had been put on leave under MLB's domestic violence policy. Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told the Associated Press last month that the department had not launched a criminal investigation but that detectives would look at the allegations "further and have already reached out to the Cubs." Chicago acquired Russell in a July 2014 trade with the Oakland Athletics. He helped the Cubs win the World Series two years ago, batting .238 with 21 home runs and 95 RBIs in 151 games that season. Russell hit .250 with 5 home runs and 38 RBIs in 130 games this season. ESPN's Jesse Rogers contributed to this report.