(670 The Score) As he reported to spring training with his new team Wednesday while he remains under investigation by MLB following domestic violence and child abuse allegations against him, White Sox right-hander Mike Clevinger pleaded for everyone “to wait before they rush to judgment” and expressed confidence that his name will be cleared of any wrongdoing.
“I’m pretty disappointed we have to start off this way,” Clevinger said at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona as White Sox pitchers and catchers reported. “This is pretty devastating to me and my family, and I know I feel terrible that my teammates have to answer questions … about this. I trust the process of MLB. I really do. And I think there’s a reason I’m sitting here in front of you today, and I’m just asking everyone to wait before they rush to judgment. Just wait until the actual facts are out there. Wait until there’s actual evidence, and then make your decision on who you think I am. But I’ll just really appreciate just a little bit of, you know, just wait for there to be actual evidence before you start making judgments and stuff. This is about my children that I care about even more than this game.”
Clevinger, 32, was accused of domestic violence and child abuse by Olivia Finestead, the mother of his young daughter, the Athletic reported in January. Clevinger choked Finestead in an incident last June, Finestead said. She also alleges that Clevinger slapped her and threw chewing tobacco on their child in a different incident, the Athletic reported. Clevinger also engaged in verbal and emotional abuse, according to Finestead.
Asked directly if he’s confident he’ll be fully exonerated, Clevinger replied, “I’m confident, I am.” He confirmed his position on the matter is that he did nothing wrong, which his lawyer previously said. MLB didn’t place Clevinger on administrative leave, and Clevinger indicated “that wasn’t even a thing.”
Clevinger played for the Padres in 2022, which is when the investigation began. He joined the White Sox on a one-year, $12-million deal in early December. The White Sox became aware of the allegations against Clevinger after they signed him, the team previously said in a statement.
Clevinger was asked if he considered telling the White Sox during negotiations in free agency that he was under investigation.
“This was going on for seven months,” Clevinger said. “I didn’t even know it was still going on, to be honest.”
MLB holds the authority to discipline Clevinger, and while its investigation continues, the White Sox are playing the waiting game. General manager Rick Hahn called it the “only option” for the White Sox to permit Clevinger to join them at camp and await word on MLB’s findings.
For his part, Clevinger started by apologizing to his White Sox teammates Wednesday.
“I just wanted to share my sentiment to them of how bad I felt that this is how I was starting out, that this was how they were meeting me, for a lot of guys that don’t know me,” Clevinger said. “I didn’t want their first day of camp to be answering questions about this nonsense.”
Clevinger also called the matter “embarrassing.”
“Uncomfortable would be a good adjective for it,” he said. “It’s embarrassing. It’s really embarrassing. It’s not who I am, and now I got to sit here on my first day and answer questions about it like I am one of those people. So it is devastating, but I’m here to answer to the bell. I’m excited to see when the facts come out.
"I didn't do anything wrong. I'm not running away from this."
Clevinger is unsure of a timeline on when MLB’s investigation will be wrapped up, he said.
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