SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego Padres relief pitcher Jose Torres was supposed to report for spring training camp in Arizona this week, but instead he was placed on Major League Baseball's restricted list as he faces domestic assault charges in Arizona, it was reported Tuesday.
Torres, 24, was arrested in December and charged with assault with a deadly weapon and other crimes after he allegedly brandished a semiautomatic handgun at a woman inside a Phoenix home the pair shared, the San Diego Union- Tribune reported.
According to court documents cited by the newspaper, the Venezuela- born pitcher knocked a door off its hinges and punched a hole in another door during an argument in which he also pointed the gun at the victim.
Torres made his first appearance in a Maricopa County court on Christmas Eve and is next due back in court on Feb. 20.
MLB.com reported Monday that Torres had been placed on the restricted list -- a designation for players who leave the team without reason -- with the Padres saying only that the move was "non-baseball related."
Statement from the San Diego Padres:
"We are aware of the allegations involving Jose Torres, and he will not be reporting to spring Training. We take this matter very seriously and are fully cooperating with the investigation being conducted by the Commissioner's Office. We will not have any further comment at this time."
The Union-Tribune reported that the team declined to comment on Torres' criminal charges but cited club officials who thought it best that Torres not be at spring training.
The left-hander pitched three innings for the Padres in 2016 before throwing more than 68 innings for the team in 62 appearances last season. He finished 2017 with a 7-4 record, a 4.21 earned run average and 63 strikeouts. He was expected to be a key part of the team's bullpen this season after finishing 2017 with a 1.97 ERA over his last 17 appearances.
Related: Ex-All Star pitcher Esteban Loaiza arrested on drug charges in San Diego
News of Torres' arrest on the domestic violence charges came a day after the public learned that former MLB pitcher Esteban Loaiza, who lives in Imperial Beach, was in a Chula Vista jail facing three felony drug charges. Loaiza, a graduate of Imperial Beach's Mar Vista High, pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers and several other teams, but never for the Padres.
