Cubs’ SS accused of hitting wife

Cubs shortstop Addison Russell was bombarded by a slew of increasingly troubling accusations Wednesday.

His wife, Melisa, accused him in an Instagram post of cheating on her, and in the comments section of that post, her friend said Russell also hit Melisa in front of their two children.

“Being free to be able to make your own choices for your own happiness beats being cheated on, lied to, & disrespected any day. #herestonewbeginnings #onlygetsbetterfromhere,” Melisa wrote.

After her friend’s comment alleging physical abuse became public, according to Larry Brown Sports, Melisa followed with another social media message addressing the accusations.

“My post is meant to be empowering, not degrading. At all. I hope it empowers women and inspires other women to ‘not take s–t’ from anyone, regardless of who they are. Hoping to empower other women to stand up for themselves is not a crime AND … i think it’s brave and REAL to show that life’s not perfect, and it’s ok,” Melisa wrote, adding, “Sorry not sorry.”

MLB is investigating Russell and hopes to interview Melisa and her friend, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Russell, 23, broke his silence on the allegations in a statement released Thursday, in which he denied the accusations of abuse, but did not broach the subject of infidelity.

“Any allegation I have abused my wife is false and hurtful,” Russell said. “For the well-being of my family, I’ll have no further comment.”

The Cubs also addressed the situation Thursday before hosting the Rockies.

“Last night, we were made aware of a serious claim posted on social media about Addison Russell,” the statement read. “We reached out to Major League Baseball, and following the protocol established by MLB, will fully cooperate with the Commissioner’s Office as it gathers pertinent facts. Addison will not be in uniform tonight to allow him to work through this matter.”