When Alex Verdugo came under fire for his ties with a 2015 assault investigation
In February 2020, after being traded from the LA Dodgers to the Boston Red Sox, outfielder Alex Verdugo came under fire for his ties to a 2015 assault investigation.
Much of Verdugo's first meeting with the Boston press was dominated by questions about his involvement in the incident. So what really happened?
As per the Boston Herald, a 17-year-old girl was with two other girls and two Dodgers minor leaguers at a hotel during spring training in 2015. The underage girl was intoxicated and vomiting, while the two other girls physically assaulted her. The incident was videotaped by one of the players and shared on Snapchat.
The sensational details were confirmed by Gabe Kapler, the former Dodgers director of player development, on his blog. However, he didn't mention any players' names.
According to the Glendale Police Department's report, Jessica Quiroli, who covers baseball, culture and feminist issues, mentioned Verdugo's involvement in the assault incident in a blog, All Heels on Deck. According to Quiroli's account, Verdugo saw the two women present abusing the girl, and either he, James Baldwin, or both uploaded the footage to social media.
It was only natural that the 2015 assault debacle would pop up at the Red Sox press conference after Verdugo's trade from the Dodgers. Upon being asked questions related to the assault, Verdugo was left searching for answers.
“My name being mentioned in the allegations … it hurts. It really does hurt. I was cleared of any wrongdoing. Of anything. And with that being said, it was a terrible thing that happened, but I’m really just, it was in my past. It’s something that, I’ve grown from it, I’ve learned from it," said Verdugo.
He added:
“This is tough to talk about because it’s hard for me, and I don’t want this to kind of keep going. I want to start my time in Boston.
“I don’t think there’s much further to comment on it. There was an investigation. There (were) a lot of things that (were) done with it, and like I said, I was cleared of anything wrongdoing, and if I was around for anything that had happened, I would have put a stop to it. I would have helped out. I would have done something.”
Alex Verdugo added that linking him with such a derogatory episode put emotional stress on him, but he solely wanted to focus on his opportunities with the Red Sox.
Alex Verdugo represented his home country in 2023 WBC
In the 2023 World Baseball Classic, the Boston Red Sox outfielder played for his home country, Team Mexico. This was his second appearance in the international tournament. He had previously participated in the fourth edition of the WBC in 2017.
As per the latest reports, Verdugo and the Red Sox agreed to a one-year contract on Jan. 13, 2023, avoiding salary arbitration.