Major League Baseball announced Friday that Minnesota Twins third baseman Miguel Sano will not face disciplinary action after MLB investigated an assault allegation.
In December, photographer Betsy Bissen said Sano grabbed her wrist and tried to pull her inside a bathroom at a store in a mall after an autograph session in 2015 and that the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Sano tried to kiss her several times. ESPN does not typically identify people who make accusations of sexual assault unless they have chosen to go public with their names.
Sano denied the allegation. After interviewing more than 20 people -- including Bissen and Sano -- and reviewing documents including communication records, the commissioner's office "found that there was insufficient evidence to support a disciplinary determination against Sanó, due to conflicting and inconsistent witness accounts and the absence of contemporaneous substantiation."
Sano, 24, issued a statement released by the Major League Baseball Players Association: "I want to thank Major League Baseball for conducting a thorough investigation and I'm happy to put this behind me. I look forward to focusing on the upcoming season and playing alongside my teammates. I want to thank my family, friends, the Players Association, the Minnesota Twins and my fans for their continued support."
Sano signed with the Twins out of his native Dominican Republic in 2009 for a bonus of $3.15 million. He finished third in American League Rookie of the Year balloting in 2015. Last season, he hit 28 home runs, drove in 77 runs and made the All-Star team for the first time.
Information from ESPN's Jerry Crasnick was used in this report.
