The Phillies stripped Odubel Herrera's likeness from Citizens Bank Park this week, seeming to signal an impending divorce with the outfielder as he faces domestic-abuse charges.
"We don't believe it's appropriate to have them displayed while the investigation is going on," Phillies vice president of communications Bonnie Clark said.
Herrera is on administrative leave until at least June 17, as Major League Baseball conducts an investigation following his arrest on Memorial Day at an Atlantic City casino. He was charged with simple assault and knowingly causing bodily injury after an alleged altercation involving his 20-year-old girlfriend. He is scheduled to appear in court on June 17.
After being informed that Herrera had been arrested, the Phillies asked Major League Baseball to remove his name from the All-Star Ballot as voting was to begin that day. They replaced his four banners outside the ballpark while the team was on a six-game road trip and covered a large sign on the main concourse with a photo of reliever Hector Neris.
"That decision will be made at an appropriate time," Clark said of the signage ever returning to the ballpark.
If the Phillies release Herrera, they would still be on the hook for the balance of the $24 million contract extension he signed in December 2016, which runs through the 2021 season. Their acquisition last week of outfielder Jay Bruce seemed to indicate that they were preparing to be without him.
"The league and the players have negotiated a policy that club officials are not to be commenting on this situation specifically or any specific situation," manager Gabe Kapler said a day after Herrera was arrested. "However, I can say more globally that domestic violence is unacceptable all the time every time and that's from a societal perspective, the Phillies' perspective, my personal perspective."
