It has been a season to forget for Marcell Ozuna amid his offensive and defensive struggles. And in his first plate appearance since a DUI arrest, Braves fans made it clear how they feel about the outfielder.
Making his first at-bat since Aug. 14, Ozuna was booed loudly by Braves fans in Atlanta as he struck out against Jose Urquidy. Ozuna had been arrested on Friday for driving under the influence, but was released on bond Saturday morning. It was his second arrest in as many years with the Braves.
Ozuna had previously been arrested in May 2021 on charges of aggravated assault by strangulation and battery, with police witnessing him grabbing his wife by the neck and “throwing her against a wall.” The charges were ultimately dropped, and he was retroactively suspended for 20 games.
Marcell Ozuna loudly booed after striking out in his first AB since his latest arrest. pic.twitter.com/AVOZ5Hgze9
— Baseball GIFs (@gifs_baseball) August 21, 2022
Ozuna was booed again later in the game after another strikeout in the fifth inning. He was lifted for Eddie Rosario in the bottom of the seventh inning, ending his day 0-for-2 with a pair of strikeouts.
The fans weren’t the only ones to greet Ozuna coldly upon his return. Braves Radio Network play-by-play broadcaster Ben Ingram introduced him only as “Ozuna from the Braves” ahead of the game.
Here’s Ben Ingram introducing Marcell Ozuna from the Braves. pic.twitter.com/DOq8QNJpNl
— Baseball GIFs (@gifs_baseball) August 21, 2022
According to CBS46, when Ozuna was arrested, he apologized before saying, “I’m Ozuna from the Braves.”
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Ozuna was booked at the Gwinnett County jail after he was arrested by police in metro Atlanta early Friday morning on DUI and failure to maintain lane charges, but was released on a bond of $1,830.
“I disappointed my team and I disappointed my family,” Ozuna said, according to the Braves. “I don’t have anything to say more. It’s a legal matter.”
“The Atlanta Braves are aware of Marcell Ozuna’s arrest this morning and are still gathering all the facts pertaining to the incident. 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,” the team said in a statement.
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Marcell Ozuna stats
The off-field issues only compound Ozuna’s on-field struggles over the past two seasons.
This season, he has posted a slash line of .214/.263/.393 with 20 home runs, 107 strikeouts and 27 walks in 107 games for -1.4 bWAR. Last year, it was a .213/.288/.356 slash with seven home runs, 46 strikeouts and 19 walks in 48 games for -0.2 bWAR.
Ozuna had signed a four-year, $65 million contract with Atlanta before the 2021 season after his standout 2020 season that helped the team reach the NLCS and saw him finish sixth in NL MVP voting.
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