Atlanta Braves designated hitter and outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested in the Atlanta area on Friday morning, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. He was charged with driving under the influence (DUI) early Friday morning in Norcross and was booked by the Norcross Police Department after he allegedly failed to maintain his lane while driving. He was released a few hours later.
The Braves released a statement once they learned about Ozuna’s arrest. “The Atlanta Braves are aware of Marcell Ozuna’s arrest this morning and are still gathering all the facts pertaining to the incident,” the team said. “Our organization takes these matters very seriously and are obviously disappointed by the situation. As this is a legal matter, we will have no further comment until the process is complete.”
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Ozuna’s arrest comes a little over a year after he was arrested for a domestic violence incident with his wife, which led to him missing the majority of last season. In September 2021, Ozuna was placed on administrative leave and did not play during the Braves World Series run.
Ozuna joined the Braves in 2020 after spending the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He made an immediate impact with the Braves hitting 18 home runs with 56 RBIs with a .338 batting average in the 60-game season. Ozuna led the National League in home runs and RBIs. This season, Ozuna has struggled to get anything going, batting .214 and posting a .656 OPS. He has two more seasons with the Braves after signing a four-year, $64 million contract in 2021.
“His exit velocity is still really good,” Braves general manager Alex Anthopolous said about Ozuna, per The Athletic. “The biggest thing is his walk rate is down. He’s putting balls in play. If you’re swinging at a zone rather than swing-and-miss, you’re still alive in the at-bat. Slower start, obviously — him and some other guys. But he’s still hitting the ball hard. His average is down, but that’s because if you’re swinging a bit more outside the zone, it’s obviously not going to come off as well.” Ozuna began his MLB career with the Maimi Marlins in 2013. He was with the team for five seasons and was selected to the All-Star team twice.
