Roberto Osuna on domestic violence suspension: 'Everybody is judging me for things they don't know'

Osuna's case is still pending in Canada

Leading up to the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, the Astros acquired reliever Roberto Osuna from the Blue Jays despite the fact that Osuna was still serving a 75-game suspension under Major League Baseball's domestic violence policy. Osuna has since served that suspension and coming into Wednesday had pitched 10 games for the Astros. 

The Osuna acquisition was obviously a controversial one for Houston, and they've been sharply criticized for taking on a player while he was still under discipline by the league. The legal proceedings stemming from Osuna's alleged assault of his girlfriend are the next steps, and his case is still pending in Ontario with a hearing scheduled for Sept. 5. 

In advance of that, USA Today's Bob Nightengale spoke to Osuna and other Astros players plus members of the front office and manager A.J. Hinch about the controversy and how it's affected the club. The piece contains a number of quotes from many different sources, and here's what Osuna himself said: 

"No one knows what happened but obviously me. Everybody is quick to judge me and say all kinds of things about it. I'm just waiting for everything to come out so people can really wait to see what happened. I would really like the fans, and everybody else, (to) learn what the media says is not true.

"The biggest thing for me, and it's sad to me, (is) how people are free to say whatever they want. They can just judge you, and they don't know you. Everybody is judging me for things they don't know. I don't like that.

"Hey, if I'm guilty, you can say whatever you want.'' 

The outcome of Osuna's hearing will presumably shed some light on the facts of the case: 

Toronto defense attorney Daniel Brown told USA TODAY Sports that, unlike many jurisdictions in the U.S., police reports are not public record and the court files only include the basics of the case, like the charges against the individual.

"It's not common practice to release that information until it's been presented in court," Brown said.

It's worth reiterating that Osuna was handed the stiffest penalty in the brief history of the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, which has been in force since August of 2015. The implication is that the facts of the Osuna case were enough to prompt commissioner Rob Manfred to take unprecedented disciplinary action.