Astros Believe Roberto Osuna 'Will Not Let Us Down' After Return from Suspension

The Houston Astros released a statement Sunday expressing their support for reliever Roberto Osuna as his 75-game suspension after being arrested for assault ends.

"Our decision to acquire Roberto was based entirely on information we gathered during our extensive investigation," the statement read. "That included as much information as we could gather about the specific incident and the charges that were filed but it also included as much as we could gather about his actions before and after the incident, as well as his personal reputation among his former teammates and coaches. The information regarding this specific incident weighed heavily on our decision but when evaluating the entirety of the information, we felt Roberto deserved a second chance.

"...We believe Roberto will not let us down. If there is any type of issue in the future, we will take immediate and decisive action—it will not be tolerated."

Osuna, 23, spent his first three-plus MLB seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, making the All-Star team in 2017. He was arrested in May on assault charges after allegedly assaulting the mother of his child. MLB placed him on administrative leave when the charges were filed before suspending him for 75 games.

The case is currently ongoing. Lawyer Domenic Basile said he is working on a deal that he hopes will get the assault dropped. 

The Astros' decision to acquire Osuna at MLB's trade deadline was roundly criticized for being tone deaf about domestic abuse. The organization has said in the past it has a zero-tolerance policy against domestic violence, though that only applies to acts committed in an Astros uniform.

"Make no bones about it—domestic violence allegations are bad," manager AJ Hinch told reporters. "Domestic violence is bad. All of us as humans know that and believe that. And so we have to figure out a way to separate those feelings versus the additional opportunity he is getting on our club."

Osuna will be activated to the MLB roster Sunday and could wind up serving as the Astros' closer during the season's stretch run.