Peach Tree Times

Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna returned to the team's lineup last week after discussing last year's domestic abuse arrest with his teammates.

Ozuna spoke March 14 with his teammates and issued a formal apology in the wake of last year's domestic abuse arrest in May, which removed him from the rest of the season, including the World Series.

"I spoke to my team and said, 'I'm sorry, I made a mistake,'" Ozuna said, according to ESPN. 

Following the incident, Major League Baseball suspended the 31-year-old retroactively to November for 20 games under the league's domestic violence policy, which allowed him to return for the start of the 2022 season, according to ESPN. Following his apology, Ozuna was welcomed by teammates in the clubhouse, where several players gathered around his locker before practice began. 

"It's good to have him back," teammate Ronald Acuña Jr. said to ESPN. "You know, he's such a good ballplayer. You know, on and off the field and, you know, the things that happened off the field, those are challenges for everyone. Certain things that happen off the field, they can happen to anyone."

Two days after MLB announced the suspension, TMZ Sports released police body camera footage that apparently showed Ozuna grabbing his wife's neck as officers arrived at their Georgia home, according to ESPN. Ozuna said he completed all of the requirements for the pretrial diversion program, as part of a condition provided by the Fulton County District Attorney's office, in order for all charges to be dropped.

Ozuna's ban cost him $1.55 million from his $12 million salary last season. He now enters the second year of a $65 million, four-year contract with the Braves, according to ESPN.