Reliever Francisco Rodriguez, who faces up to two years in prison for assault and harassment charges, has resolved his grievance with the New York Mets, the team said on Tuesday.
Rodriguez will forgo about US$3 million of his salary this year, while the Mets will remove him from the disqualified list and will not convert his contract into a non-guaranteed deal.
The four-time All-Star is awaiting trial next month, after his arrest two months ago for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend’s father after a game at the Mets ballpark Citi Field.
“As I have expressed in the past, I deeply regret the incident that occurred on Aug. 11, 2010,” Rodriguez said on Tuesday in a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association.
“I sincerely apologize to ... Mets fans, my teammates and the entire Mets organization. I have worked hard since the incident to make myself a better person and member of this organization,” he said.
Rodriguez suffered a season-ending injury to the thumb on his right pitching hand after allegedly pinning the 53-year-old against a wall and punching him repeatedly.
Rodriguez, who has been attending anger management classes, also violated a restraining order by sending dozens of text messages to his girlfriend.
“We are pleased that Frankie Rodriguez has accepted responsibility for his actions and their consequences,” Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon said in a statement.
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