Familia returns, waits on ban

PORT ST. LUCIE — Hours after his meeting in the MLB offices in Manhattan, Jeurys Familia was back in the clubhouse Tuesday morning at the Mets’ spring training complex preparing to pitch. The Mets closer said he didn’t know anything about the decision coming from the commissioner’s office about the case against him under the league and union’s joint domestic violence policy.

He declined to say anything further on the case, as he has done all spring.

All Familia said he knew was that he wants to pitch every day that’s left in spring training. Tuesday, Familia pitched a perfect ninth inning in the Mets’ 3-3 tie with the Cardinals at First Data Field.

The Mets remained confident Monday that Familia would be suspended by commissioner Rob Manfred sometime this week, but they were also optimistic that it would be the shortest suspension under the new policy. While industry sources have repeatedly said they expect at least 30 games for Familia, the Mets are expecting half that — 14 or 15 games.

A Mets sources said they had not been given any indication when the ruling would come down as of Tuesday night.

Familia left spring training in Florida Sunday night to fly to New York for the meeting, it was the second time he left spring training because of the case. He arrived at MLB’s offices Monday afternoon at 2:45 p.m. with his wife, Bianca Rivas, and attorney Jay Reisinger for a meeting that lasted roughly two hours. All three exited the Park Avenue offices just before 5 p.m., but Reisinger wouldn’t comment on Monday’s meeting. MLB also declined comment.

MLB sources said the investigation is on ongoing, but Manfred has said publicly that he expected to have the issue resolved before Opening Day, which for the Mets is Monday at Citi Field. The first MLB games of the season are Sunday.

Familia, 27, was arrested and charged with simple assault last Oct. 31 at his Fort Lee, N.J., home. Rivas was the alleged victim. But the charges were dropped at the request of his wife and her attorney, and a Fort Lee Municipal Court judge signed an order dismissing the case in December. Under MLB and the MLB Players’ Association’s joint domestic violence policy, Manfred has the authority to suspend players who are deemed to have violated the policy, even if the player is not charged or convicted in any criminal case.