Brett Myers to Take Leave of Absence

From the AP (via ESPN.com):

PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Brett Myers will take a leave of absence from the team through the All-Star break to focus on personal matters following his arrest on assault charges against his wife.

Myers was arrested Friday and charged with hitting his wife in the face on a street not far from Fenway Park where the Phillies played the Red Sox. He was freed after his wife posted $200 bail and faces a court date of Aug. 4.

The Phillies let Myers pitch the next day against Boston and he pitched five innings. The decision to let their ace pitch was heavily criticized in Philadelphia, and several women's groups called for a suspension.

"First, while I dispute that the facts are as alleged, I recognize that my behavior was inappropriate and for that I apologize," Myers said in a statement Tuesday. "Second, I recognize that the incident created an embarrassing situation for many people, including my wife and family, my teammates, the Phillies organization, and fans, and I am very sorry for that."

Isn't this an unexpected twist? More on this saga to come, you can be sure of that...