Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna was booed by his home fans in Sunday’s loss to the Houston Astros after being arrested for a DUI on Friday. Ozuna was arrested with a DUI and failing to maintain a lane when Norcross Police saw his car struggling to stay in the lanes. Ozuna was then booked into the Gwinnett County jail and was released on a $1,830 bond on Saturday.
Following the arrest, Ozuna stated, “I disappointed my team, I disappointed my family. I don’t have anything to say more. It’s a legal matter.” Ozuna was then asked how he felt after the game on Sunday, and after the fans made their feeling known, he responded with, “It’s kind of a motivator. Just don’t listen to whatever they’re saying; keep my head up and do my best.”
Not The First Legal Trouble
This is not the first legal issue that Marcell Ozuna has run into. Many fans were disturbed when they found out that Ozuna had been arrested in May 2021 for aggravated assault due to police saying they saw Ozuna strangling his wife in a domestic dispute. Those charges were dropped, but Ozuna was put on administrative leave in September and didn’t return for the rest of the season.
Due to Ozuna’s legal issues, he missed out on the Atlanta Braves world series championship win. Ozuna entered the preseason with an apology stating, “My fans, I’m going to give you the best, and I’m going to be a better person, and I’m sorry.”
Booed After Strikeouts
Not only was Asuna booed while walking up to the home plate for his first at-bat, but he was booed two more times after striking out twice against the Houston Astros. The poor performance has been a large frustration from the fans towards Ozuna prior to the arrest.
Currenly, Ozuna is batting .213, with 20 homeruns and 46 RBIs. This is not the kind of production that Braves fans thought they were getting when Ozuna arrives, and his amount of playing time has dipped due to his struggles. Surely fans will be wondering if the legal issues are causing an issue on the field as well, and it just might be.
Future For Ozuna
The Atlanta Braves are hampered with injuries right now, so expect Ozuna to continue to get playing time. The Braves begin a series against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday in Pittsburgh, a perfect opportunity for Ozuna to get back on track due to the Pirates pitching troubles.
The Braves are right in the thick of things in the NL East, being four games back of the leading New York Mets. Despite Ozuna’s past as a great player, the combination of a great Atlanta Braves roster, the fans disliking him, and his struggles at the plate are all major warning signs for Ozuna remaining with Atlanta beyond this season.
