Marcell Ozuna DUI Arrest Video Shows OF Telling Police 'I'm Ozuna from the Braves'
Mike Chiari@@mikechiari
Featured Columnist IVAugust 19, 2022
More details emerged Friday regarding the arrest of Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna after the release of body camera footage from the arresting officers.
According to Fox 5 in Atlanta, Ozuna was arrested early Friday morning on charges of driving under the influence and failure to maintain lane in Norcross, Georgia. Ozuna was booked and later released from jail.
Footage of the arrest shows Ozuna saying, "Sorry, sorry, I'm Ozuna from the Braves." He told police he had consumed "three or four" beers.
Ozuna partook in field sobriety tests but refused to take a Breathalyzer test before being arrested.
The 31-year-old was in the Braves clubhouse prior to their game against the Houston Astros on Friday and issued a statement:
Aside from stating it was a legal matter, he would only say that he disappointed his team and family.
Last year, Ozuna was arrested in May after police said they saw him grab his wife, Genesis, by the neck and throw her against a wall, as well as strike her. He was charged with felony aggravated assault by strangulation, but the charges were later reduced to battery and simple assault.
He was placed on administrative leave after the arrest and didn't play for the remainder of the 2021 season. In November, Major League Baseball suspended him retroactively for 20 games.
He returned to the team this year and has spent much of the season as a starter, but he hasn't played since Sunday. In 107 games, Ozuna is slashing just .214/.263/.393 with 20 home runs and 46 RBI.
It is a far cry from the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, which saw him hit .338 with a National League-leading 18 homers and 56 RBI en route to finishing sixth in the NL MVP voting and winning his second career Silver Slugger Award.
Ozuna was a two-time All-Star in five seasons with the Miami Marlins (2013-17) before spending two seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals and then signing with the Braves.
Given Ozuna's struggles at the plate and now his arrest, it is likely the Braves will use some combination of Ronald Acuña Jr., Michael Harris II, Eddie Rosario, Robbie Grossman and Vaughn Grissom in the outfield and at designated hitter for the foreseeable future.