Former Boston Red Sox star Manny Ramirez has pleaded not guilty to domestic battery charges stemming from a Sept. 12 incident with his wife.
Ramirez's lawyer filed the plea prior to Friday's schedule arraignment without Ramirez present. Ramirez is free on $2,500 bail.
The 12-time MLB All-Star was arrested Sept. 12 after his wife told investigators Ramirez slapped her, causing her head to hit a bed headboard. Ramirez denied hitting his wife, saying he grabbed her by the shoulders and she ended up hitting her head on the headboard of the bed.
A deputy noted in the police report that the left side of Juliana Ramirez's face looked red and swollen, though both Ramirez and his wife declined emergency medical treatment.
After hitting 555 career home runs and racking up 1,831 RBI, Ramirez retired abruptly this April after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug during spring training. He helped the Red Sox to two World Series titles, and was named MVP of the 2004 World Series.
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