Delmon Young: Detroit Tigers Star Arrested on Assault Charges

Detroit Tigers outfielder Delmon Young was arrested on Friday morning for allegedly assaulting a man, according to a report from the New York Post. 

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Cops were called to the hotel around 2:40 a.m. after Young, whose ballclub is in town to play the Yankees tonight, pushed the man to the ground, sources said.

Young, known for his powerhouse arm in the outfield, was "highly intoxicated," sources said, and had to be taken to the hospital to sober up before being moved to a police precinct.

The victim suffered scratches on his arm and was treated at the scene.

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According to Fox News, Young is being charged with a hate crime because he was making "anti-semitic remarks" while allegedly attacking a group of four men. 

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A group of four tourists who witnessed the incident told police they were approached by a panhandler wearing a yarmulke as they entered the hotel. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound Young began shouting anti-Semitic epithets and knocked one member of the group to the ground, according to police.

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UPDATE: Saturday, April 28 at 3:14 p.m. ET by Nicholas Goss

Young is on the restricted list but could return to the Tigers lineup as early as Tuesday, CBS Sports reports.

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Young, involved in a drunken incident and possible hate crime in the early hours of Friday morning, will be evaluated Monday under baseball's new employee assistance program. If the doctor doing the evaluation allows it, the Tigers plan to allow Young to return to the lineup immediately.

"If he's cleared to play by the doctors, he will play," Tigers president and general manager Dave Dombrowski said Saturday afternoon.

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Having Young come back to the lineup soon has its rewards and concerns. The reward is that it will allow him to forget about his off-fielf troubles for a few hours, but the concern is that the media will ask him lots of questions about the incident, which won't be an easy thing for him to handle.

UPDATE: Saturday, April 28 at 11:00 p.m. EDT by Adam Wells

According to Jason Beck of MLB.com, the Tigers have placed Young on the restricted list and called up Danny Worth from Toledo to take his spot. 

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As expected, #Tigers place Delmon Young on restricted list. Danny Worth has been recalled from @MudHens.

— Jason Beck (@beckjason) April 28, 2012"

Baseball Reference states that the restricted list is used for various reasons, in this case it is because Young is in trouble with the law. 

Basically, it means that the Tigers still hold his rights if/when he comes back, but they were free to open up a roster spot for someone else. 

UPDATE: Friday, April 27th at 8:00 p.m. EDT by Josh Martin

According to Robin Erb of The Detroit Free Press, Young has been released on $5,000 bond and charged with aggravated assault in the second degree. He released the following statement through his attorney, Daniel Ollen:

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"I sincerely regret what happened last night. I apologize to everyone I affected, the Ilitch family, the Detroit Tigers' organization, my teammates, my family, and the great Tigers' fans that have supported me since day one.

“I take this matter very seriously and assure everyone that I will do everything I can to improve myself as a person and player."

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Young's character off the field has been a source of concern since he was drafted in 2003. In 2006, he was suspended for 50 games following an incident where he threw a bat at an umpire after being called out on strikes in a Triple-A game. 

The Tigers acquired Young from Minnesota last August. His performance in the playoffs helped get the team to the American League Championship Series. 

This season, Young has not been able to find his rhythm. He is hitting just .242/.311/.33 with one home run and five RBI in 74 plate appearances. 

The Tigers started the season hot, with four straight wins, but have lost nine of their last 15 games. 

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