Addison Russell denies abusing ex-wife

Addison Russell has released a statement denying that he physically and emotionally abused his ex-wife, Melisa Reidy.

"These allegations are completely false," Russell said, through a statement released by the MLBPA. "I made that clear to Major League Baseball last year and reiterated it to the Cubs today. I'm confident any full and fair investigation will fully exonerate me. The protection of my children is foremost in my mind so I will have no further comment."

The 24-year-old Russell was placed on administrative leave pending an investigation by the league after Reidy cataloged the abuse she suffered during their marriage in a blog post published on Wednesday.

Major League Baseball had already begun an investigation on Russell in June 2017 when a friend of Reidy stated that he had cheated on her and hit her in front of their children, Aiden and Mila. Russell and Reidy officially divorced on Aug. 30, 2017.

According to MLB.com, Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein identified that, while last year's investigation stemmed from a "third-party accusation," Russell is now facing "a direct accusation from the accuser and potential victim so the situation has changed." The team opted not to place Russell on administrative leave last year.

Administrative leave lasts a maximum of seven days, at which point it needs to be extended. In the event of a suspension, the beginning is backdated to when the player was initially placed on administrative leave.