SAN DIEGO — The attorney for Mike Clevinger says the former Padres pitcher "emphatically denies" accusations of domestic violence and child abuse, one day after the mother of his young daughter detailed what she said were several acts of abuse last summer.
Olivia Finestead posted to Instagram on Tuesday that Clevinger choked and slapped her on separate occasions, and that he threw used chewing tobacco at their child. At the time, Clevinger was pitching for the Padres. The story was first reported by The Athletic, with Finestead agreeing to be named.
The Padres said Tuesday that they are "aware of MLB's investigation and completely support their efforts under the Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse policy" but would have no further comment because an investigation was ongoing.
Clevinger's attorney, Jay Reisinger, issued a statement Wednesday. It read: "Mike emphatically denies the accusations made by Ms. Finestead. He has never harmed Ms. Finestead or his daughter. 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 toward 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. He is a loving and caring father. We have advised Mike not to comment on this matter."
Clevinger, 32, signed with the White Sox in December after appearing in 27 games in three years after the Padres acquired him from Cleveland in August 2020. He walked off the mound in a postseason start against the Dodgers that October with the forearm/elbow discomfort that ultimately required Tommy John surgery, wiping away the 2021 season.
Last year, Clevinger went 7-7 with a 4.33 ERA over 114 1/3 innings in his first year back from the second Tommy John surgery of his career.
A White Sox statement provided to The Athletic said the club was not aware of any allegations or investigation at the time they signed Clevinger to a one-year, $12 million deal.
