25 January 2023
CHICAGO (WGN) – Mike Clevinger, a starting pitcher who recently signed with the Chicago White Sox, is reportedly under investigation by Major League Baseball following allegations of domestic violence.
According to reports from The Athletic and ESPN, Olivia Finestead, the mother of Clevinger’s 10-month-old daughter, has accused him of “physical, verbal and emotional abuse” against herself and their daughter while he was a member of the San Diego Padres.
Finestead told The Athletic she has detailed these accusations of abuse to MLB investigators. This includes an incident in June where she alleges Clevinger choked her. In another incident not long after that, Finestead also claims he slapped her and threw chewing tobacco on their daughter.
She also posted about the alleged abuse on her Instagram story on Tuesday.
When contacted by Nexstar’s WGN about the allegations, the White Sox shared the following statement.
“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. 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 released a similar statement to ESPN, saying the team is aware of the investigation and supports the MLB’s efforts.
Clevinger’s agent told The Athletic they “need time before responding” to questions about the investigation.
Clevinger, 32, signed a one-year, $8 million deal with the White Sox in December after spending the 2022 season with the Padres. He had been in San Diego since the middle of the shortened 2020 season when he was traded from Cleveland, where he spent his first four and a half MLB seasons.