Jesse Rogers and Jeff Passan2 minute read
Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger will not be subject to disciplinary action under MLB’s joint policy on domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse, the league announced Sunday. league.
He has voluntarily agreed to submit to evaluations from treatment boards that cover domestic violence and drug abuse and has also agreed to comply with all recommendations of these boards.
Clevinger, 32, was being investigated after being accused of domestic abuse by the mother of one of his children. On January 24, Olivia Finestead posted a photo of marks on her body to Instagram with accompanying words alleging the injuries stemmed from “when he threw a pregnant iPad at me” and “he finally left when he strangled me.”
“Mike Clevinger,” she added, “you really deserve hell, I’ve been silent for almost a year and you continue to secretly abuse your baby.”
She also said Clevinger “threw chews on our baby” and accused him of illegal drug use, bringing the Joint Baseball Drug Policy into the investigation.
In a statement Sunday, MLB said the investigation included “interviews with more than 15 people, in addition to Mr. Clevinger and the complainant, as well as a review of available documents, such as thousands of tapes of electronic communications” and that the investigation is ongoing. now closed.
“I am pleased Major League Baseball has concluded its investigation,” Clevinger said in a statement. “I had nothing to hide and fully cooperated with MLB. This situation has been stressful for my family, and I thank them for their strength and support. I have asked everyone not to rush to judge until MLB’s investigation is complete, and I appreciate everyone who trusted me, including the White Sox organization and my teammates.
“I’m looking forward to the 2023 season and helping the White Sox win a championship this year.”
Clevinger finalized a one-year, $12 million deal with Chicago in December. MLB’s investigation predates his deal with the White Sox who, based on collectively negotiated policies, were not told he was under investigation before signing. The news only became public after Finestead’s social media posts.
Clevinger is expected to pitch in the back end of the White Sox rotation this season. He kicked off a spring training B game against the Dodgers on Sunday before the league announced its findings.
Fifteen players have been suspended for violating the domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy since it was put in place in 2015. Trevor Bauer received the longest suspension at 324 games. It was later reduced to 194 games after an appeal.