One day after reuniting with the Mets on a minor league deal, Jose Reyes made his debut with the Low-A Brooklyn Cyclones on Sunday in preparation for joining the major league roster in the coming days. Greeted with loud applause and even the familiar “Jose-Jose-Jose-Jose” chant from a capacity crowd at MCU Park in Brooklyn, Reyes played six innings and went 0-for-3 with a strikeout from the leadoff spot.
Reyes spoke with reporters after the game and said that he was “a little bit emotional” at the positive response from fans. His return to the Mets was only made possible after he was dumped by the Rockies following a 52-game suspension from MLB for a domestic violence incident with his wife. Reyes was arrested last October 31 in Hawaii on charges of assaulting his wife, Katherine. She told police that he grabbed her by the throat and shoved her into a sliding glass door. Charges were later dropped after she did not cooperate with prosecutors.
Per David Lennon of Newsday, Reyes repeatedly apologized during his postgame comments and used the phrase “terrible mistake” to describe the violent incident with his wife. He can’t get into specifics about the event in question because there’s still a chance the case can be reopened if there’s cause. The statute of limitations for the case expires on October 31, 2017.
Reyes’ wife was in attendance for Sunday’s game.
