Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger is under investigation by Major League Baseball following allegations of domestic violence involving the mother of his 10-month-old daughter and child abuse.
Olivia Finestead, the 24-year-old mother of Clevinger’s child, told The Athletic on Tuesday that she has been in contact with individuals from MLB’s Department of Investigations since this summer. According to Finestead, she has detailed to those investigators incidents of physical, verbal and emotional abuse, including an incident from last June in which Finestead said Clevinger choked her, and another about two weeks later when she said Clevinger slapped her in a hotel room when the team was playing the Dodgers and threw used chewing tobacco on their child.
A source familiar with MLB’s investigation process confirmed there is an open investigation on Clevinger. The source added that the White Sox became aware of the allegations after he was signed.
Finestead, who agreed to be named in this story, first publicly disclosed the allegations in an Instagram story early Tuesday.
“I hope the @MLB does what they should and puts him in required therapy maybe even a small suspensions (sic) so he can take time out to really think about why he abuses his kids and their mothers,” the story post said.
Clevinger “emphatically denies” the allegations, his lawyers said in a statement Tuesday evening.
“He has never harmed Ms. Finestead or his daughter,” the statement said. “We will not comment on Ms. Finestead’s motive for bringing these false allegations. Her baseless threats and accusations over the last few months have regrettably escalated, culminating most recently in deeply disturbing threats towards Mike and Mike’s family. Her threats and her pattern of abusive behavior are well documented. The simple truth is that Mike has done nothing wrong.”
Clevinger, 32, was a member of the San Diego Padres pitching staff at the time of the alleged incidents last summer. He became a free agent when his contract expired this winter and signed a one-year deal with the White Sox.
The White Sox said they were not aware of these allegations when they signed Clevinger.
“Major League Baseball and the Chicago White Sox take any and all allegations very seriously, and the White Sox are completely supportive of the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy shared by MLB and the MLBPA,” the team said in a statement issued to The Athletic. “MLB opened an investigation after learning of these allegations. The White Sox were not aware of the allegations or the investigation at the time of his signing. The White Sox will refrain from comment until MLB’s investigative process has reached its conclusion.”
The Padres said in a statement they are “aware of MLB’s investigation and completely support their efforts under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy. Due to the ongoing investigative process, we cannot comment any further at this time.”
(Photo: Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
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