Report: Familia faces ban of 30-40 games despite dropped charges
The legal charges against Jeurys Familia may have been dismissed, but it appears Major League Baseball will come down hard on the New York Mets closer after an alleged domestic violence incident earlier this offseason.
Familia appears to be facing a 30-game suspension at minimum, league sources told Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News. It's also possible that the ban could stretch to at least 40 games, reports Dan Martin of the New York Post.
The 27-year-old had been charged with one count of simple assault stemming from an alleged incident on Oct. 31. Familia's wife, Bianca Rivers, called 911 on that evening, alleging her husband was drinking and "going crazy."
Related: Familia's simple assault charge dismissed by judge
Despite the criminal case against him being dropped, Familia is still likely to face punishment from MLB for violating the league's domestic violence policy, and commissioner Rob Manfred can cite precedent if he decides to give him a long suspension. Jose Reyes received a 52-game suspension last year for an alleged domestic violence incident in which charges were ultimately dropped, while Aroldis Chapman was banned for 30 games despite never facing charges.
In November, Manfred said he planned to let the legal process play itself out before the league completed its internal investigation. MLB's examination is now "ongoing," sources told Ackert, and there is no timetable for an announcement of any discipline.
The Mets released a statement saying they "will await the outcome of MLB’s investigation" before commenting further, according to Martin.