Russell’s leave to run through Sunday’s finale
Cubs shortstop Addison Russell will miss the rest of the regular season while Major League Baseball investigates domestic-violence allegations from his ex-wife.
MLB and the players’ association agreed Thursday to extend his administrative leave by four days through Sunday. Russell was placed on administrative leave last Friday.
On Tuesday, the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that MLB has “additional credible information” to support allegations by Melisa Reidy-Russell that Russell emotionally and physically abused her during their marriage.
MLB interviewed Reidy-Russell and several other witnesses, according to the report. When the allegations surfaced in 2017, Reidy-Russell declined to be interviewed, according to reports.
The Cubs have maintained it’s a league matter and out of their hands, declining further comment.
However, manager Joe Maddon said Wednesday that he had read ReidyRussell’s online account describing alleged physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her exhusband.
“Domestic violence is horrible. It absolutely is,” Maddon said. “By reading that, you feel her pain, absolutely.
“But at the end of the day, there’s nothing really that I’m able to do. This is in the hands of Major League Baseball and the (MLB Players Association), period.”
Russell can challenge the leave before an arbitrator. He continues to be paid his $3.2 million salary.
Chicago has clinched its fourth straight postseason appearance.
Russell, 24, is batting .250 with five homers and 38 RBIs. He was an AllStar two years ago. Kang’s return: The Pirates expect infielder Jung Ho Kang to join the club Friday and be active for a season-ending season at Cincinnati in what would be his first major-league appearance in two years.
Kang, 31, didn’t play in North America between September 2016 and June 2018 because of visa issues connected to three DUI arrests in his native South Korea.
Kang hit .273 with 36 homers and 120 RBIs in 229 games for the Pirates in 2015 and 2016. What’s next? Baltimore manager Buck Showalter, whose team set a franchise record with 112 losses, said he hasn’t been told what his future holds, but said that he’s OK with that.
“No, I shouldn’t know,” Showalter said. “I’ve got a contract through the end of October, so nobody needs to or had to do that. There’s a lot of people in this world like that. Who am I? Really? Is it that important?”
Showalter is in the last year of a six-year contract extension. He is 668-691 in eight-plus seasons with the team, leading the Orioles to three playoff appearances. Briefly: Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius, who tore cartilage in his right wrist while sliding into home plate Saturday, took grounders Thursday and could return to the lineup this weekend, manager Aaron Boone said . ... Pittsburgh reliever Edgar Santana (3-4, 3.26 ERA in 69 games) will have Tommy John surgery and miss the 2019 season, the team announced.