Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger has been accused of domestic violence and child abuse against his 10-month-old child.
The pitcher’s accuser, Olivia Finestead, hopped on 670TheScore in Chicago this weekend for an interview, which he called “really trashy” and “some lowlife material.”
In the interview, Finestead – the mother of Clevinger’s child – blasted the right-hander for playing the victim during his media session down in spring training, echoing her previous sentiments.
“For him to sit there and be like, ‘Oh, poor me on my first day [of Spring Training]?’ Like, your poor baby. Your poor other kids,” Finestead said. “He’s just so full of himself and such a narcissist that he will deny, lie and project every day. That’s just who he is.”
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Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (52) works out during a spring training baseball practice, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
“It’s the world we’re living in,” the 32-year-old pitcher said in response to the interview. “Everyone wants the clicks. It doesn’t matter what the real truth is. Everyone will stop and look at the car crash but no one’s going to stop and smell the flowers. That’s how the world is. But that was really trashy of them. That was some lowlife material right there.”
“My lawyers are paying attention,” he continued. “My lawyers are getting in contact with them, and they probably already sent a cease-and-desist for defamation. So [they] just got themselves involved in this, too, so good for them.”
Clevinger is currently under investigation by Major League Baseball following the allegations. Earlier this week, the pitcher said he is trusting the league’s process.
“I trust the process from MLB, I really do,” he said. “I think there’s a reason I’m sitting in front of you today. I’m just asking everyone to wait before they rush to judgment. 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.”
The allegations surfaced on Jan. 24 when Finestead posted a photo of marks on her body with accompanying words that alleged the injuries were “from when he threw an iPad at me pregnant” and “finally left when he strangled me.” The alleged incidents occurred last year, while Clevinger was a member of the San Diego Padres.
“Mike Clevinger you really deserve hell I’ve kept quiet now for almost a year and you continue to covertly abuse your infant,” she said, adding the pitcher “threw chew spit on our baby.”
“I hope the @MLB does what they should and puts him in required therapy maybe even a small suspensions (sic) so he can take time out to really think about why he abuses his kids and their mothers,” Finestead wrote on her Instagram Stories at the time.
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Mike Clevinger (52) works out during a spring training baseball practice, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)
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Clevinger signed a one-year deal worth $8 million with the White Sox in December, but the team says they were not made aware of the allegations when he signed.
“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,” the team said in a statement to The Athletic. “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.”
In August 2020, Clevinger broke COVID-19 protocols while playing with Cleveland and was placed on the team’s restricted list. Later that month, he was traded to San Diego. The pitcher underwent Tommy John surgery after that season, and returned to appear in 23 games (22 starts) in 2022.
Mike Clevinger #52 of the San Diego Padres pitches during the second inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on September 14, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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From 2017 to 2020, Clevinger pitched to a 2.96 ERA, striking out 10.2 batters per nine innings. However, this past season, his ERA shot up to 4.33 with a 7.2 K/9 – both the worst marks since his rookie season in 2016.
