Blue Jays Report: Team denied update on Roberto Osuna case

Following an exciting win against the Atlanta Braves, a report has surfaced that says that the Blue Jays were denied an update on the MLB investigation of young pitcher Roberto Osuna.

Jon Heyman of FRS Baseball reports that the Blue Jays management has reached out to Major League Baseball and has asked them for an update on the investigation into the assault charge of young closer Roberto Osuna. According to Heyman, the league is standing pat on their position – they don’t want to rush this decision.

Heyman says that the league is primarily focused on getting all of the facts straight before making a decision that could impact the career of a player. Ahead of Osuna’s July 9th trial date, he pleaded not guilty in his initial court appearance on June 18th.

Heyman’s column, which can be found here, points to the fact that Osuna plays in Canada as a possible obstacle in coming to a decision on the matter. Borrowing some analysis from Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, Heyman notes that his suspension and possible criminal record could affect his work visa.

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Finally, Heyman notes that representatives from the Jays have met in person with the league, but it appears as though there is next to nothing that the team can do to expedite the investigation process. According to multiple other sources, MLB does not need a conviction to hand out a longer, more severe suspension.

In addition to pleading not guilty, Osuna’s lawyers have denied the charges. His lawyer, Domenic Basile, said on Monday that the young hurler “respects that there is a court process. He’s going to continue to work out and throw the ball and be ready to come back when he’s authorized to play by Major League Baseball.” Basile’s statement was documented by Global News.

Basile also said that he’s received “substantial disclosure of evidence” and will meet with the Crown for pre-trial conferences in the next week. According to Basile: “this is the kind of case that takes time, it doesn’t resolve overnight.”

Osuna’s administrative leave has been further extended to June 25th by the commissioner’s office.

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