Jays reliever to contest assault charge

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 on 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 leave after his arrest and is renewing it on a weekly basis, Basile said. On Monday, the leave was extended through June 25.

“He’s going to continue to work out and throw the ball and be ready to come back when he’s 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 returns to court on July 9.

IN OTHER BLUE JAYS NEWS:

According to MLB Network

■ insider Jon Morosi, 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.”

New Hampshire Fisher Cats

■ righty T.J. Zeuch was named the Eastern League pitcher of the week after tossing eight shutout innings of two-hit ball in his last start.

The Jays’ attendance (via Fan

■

Graphs) is down 11,417 per game this season from last year.