Major League Baseball has put Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes on paid leave pending the completion of his domestic abuse case. Rob Manfred, the MLB Commissioner, has the ability to suspend Reyes before his case is decided, but Manfred has decided to wait for the trial. 

Manfred announced the paid leave of Reyes pending completion of criminal proceedings:

"Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. announced today that the Colorado Rockies shortstop Jose Reyes has been placed on paid leave pending completion of his criminal proceedings in Hawaii, pursuant to Major League Baseball's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Section III.C.2 of the Policy permits the Commissioner to impose a paid suspension pending resolution of the legal proceedings or an investigation. Upton resolutions of Reyes' criminal proceedings and the completion of the Commissioner's Office's investigation into the incident, Commissioner Manfred will make a decision whether to impose discipline on Reyes. The Commissioner's Office will have no further comment on this matter until a final disposition is announced."

The trial for Reyes is set for April 4, 2016. The Rockies open their season the same day as the trial on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks at 7:40 PM ET. Until the trial, Reyes will not step foot on a baseball field for Colorado. 

Reyes was arrested in October of 2015 for assaulting his wife at a hotel in Hawaii. Reyes pleaded not guilty to the charges after being told to stay away from his wife for three days following the arrest and going to jail with a $1,000 bond. Reyes' wife was noticed with scratches on her neck and left leg injuries. 

Jose Reyes #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays bunts during the 9th inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals. (July 10, 2015 - Source: Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America)
Jose Reyes #7 of the Toronto Blue Jays bunts during the 9th inning of the game against the Kansas City Royals. (July 10, 2015 - Source: Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America)

Reyes, who was signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent in 1999 out of the Dominican Republic, was traded by the Toronto Blue Jays with Jeff Hoffman, Jesus Tinoco and Miguel Castro to the Rockies for Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins at the trade deadline of the 2015 season. 

Over his 13-year career, Reyes has played for the Mets (2003-2011), Miami Marlins (2012), Blue Jays (2013-2015) and the Rockies (2015). The shortstop was selected to the All-Star Game in 2006, 2007, 2010 and 2011 and won the 2006 Sliver Slugger award by tallying a .300 average, 194 hits, 30 doubles, 17 triples, 19 home runs, 81 RBI and 64 stolen bases. 

Last season, split between Toronto and Colorado, Reyes slashed .274/.310/.378 with 25 doubles, two triples, seven home runs, 53 RBI and 24 stolen bases in 481 at-bats across 116 games played. 

The 32-year-old is set to start at shortstop for the Rockies during a majority of this season, but Daniel Descalso will take his place for the start of the season. Nolan Arenado, Descalso, D.J. LeMahieu and Ben Paulson will start in the infield from third-to-first. 

Descalso, 29, played in 101 games for the Rockies in 2015 and hit .205 with five homers and 22 RBI. The third round pick in the 2007 MLB Draft is signed through 2016 on a two-year, $3.6 million deal. 

Manfred and the MLB are investigating the cases of Reyes, Aroldis Chapman of the New York Yankees and Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers

At spring training for the Yankees, Chapman said, "I haven't hurt anybody."

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About the author
Evan Petzold
Evan Petzold is a Detroit-based journalist with expertise in covering the Tigers, Pistons, and Red Wings. A member of the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) and Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association (DBSA), he brings a unique skill set in reporting and broadcasting to the table.