National Post (National Edition)
Jays’ Osuna will plead not guilty to assault charge, lawyer says
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roberto Osuna intends to plead not guilty to an assault charge, his lawyer said Monday.
The 23-year-old closer was arrested last month in connection with what his lawyer Domenic Basile called an alleged domestic incident.
Osuna did not attend the court hearing Monday, but his lawyer said the Crown had turned a “substantive” amount of their evidence over to Osuna’s defence team.
“I spoke to him this morning (and) he loves Toronto, he loves the Toronto Blue Jays and he wants to be back on the mound pitching for them,” Basile said.
Osuna, who earns $5.3 million per year, appeared in 15 games for the Jays earlier this season.
Major League Baseball put the Mexico native on paid administrative leave after his arrest and is renewing it on a weekly basis, Basile said. On Monday, the administrative leave was extended through June 25.
“He is going to continue to work out and throw the ball and be ready to come back when he is authorized to be back and play by Major League Baseball,” Basile said of his client, who was released on bail in May.
Osuna’s case is scheduled to return to court July 9.
In other Blue Jays news: ❚ According to MLB Network insider Jon Morosi, both the New York Yankees and Seattle Mariners are interested in Jays lefty J.A. Happ. Said Morosi in a Tweet: “Here is one reason why: The AL rival Red Sox have an Mlb-best .813 OPS against RHP but only .672 against LHP”
❚ Fisher Cats righty T. J. Zuech has been named the Eastern League Pitcher of the Week after 8.0 shut out innings with just two hits in his only start of the week.
❚ Jays attendance (Fangraphs) is down a whopping 11,417 per game this season from last year.