Police Report: Braves' Marcell Ozuna Threatened to Kill Wife in Domestic Dispute

The wife of Atlanta Braves left fielder Marcell Ozuna said he threatened to kill her during their argument that led to his arrest, according to Michael Seiden of WSB-TV in Atlanta.

Authorities arrested Ozuna last Saturday and charged him with aggravated assault by strangulation and battery. The arrest affidavit said Ozuna's wife, Genesis Guzman, was showering when he took her cellphones and refused to give them back, per Seiden.

"He threatened to kill her and she threatened to call 911," the affidavit read. "She took his cellphone from a table and called 911."

After chasing Ozuna outside of their home, Guzman walked back inside while on the phone with the 911 operator. Per the affidavit, while on the call, she said Ozuna was coming back inside and that she was grabbing a kitchen knife for protection.

"He continued to yell and verbally abuse her," the affidavit said. "Therefore, [Guzman] held the knife by her hip and warned [Ozuna] that if he got closer, she was going to hurt him."

Per the affidavit, Guzman subsequently dropped the knife and physically attempted to retrieve her phones before the two-time All-Star allegedly punched her in the back of her hands and using his left arm—which is in a plaster cast—to push her in the face. Ozuna then allegedly placed his hand around her throat and "held her up against the wall, preventing her from breathing."

The Sandy Springs Police Department said in the announcement about Ozuna's arrest that responding officers "heard screaming coming from inside and noticed the front door wide open." The officers also "witnessed the suspect grabbing the victim by the neck and throwing her against a wall."

Ozuna told police he had taken his wife's phones and that his wife had pushed him to the ground and kicked him. He also said Guzman threw a garden light toward him at one point after he exited the house.

The Braves issued a statement about Ozuna's arrest, saying they "fully support Major League Baseball's policy on domestic violence which stresses to the fullest that our society cannot and will not tolerate domestic violence in any form."

Ozuna has been out of action since May 25 after fracturing two fingers while sliding into third base.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal noted MLB's collective bargaining agreement allows for Commissioner Rob Manfred to levy suspensions for domestic violence even if a player isn't formally convicted.