Yahoo Sports Former MLB pitcher Mat Latos ordered to stay away from ex-girlfriend after threats, violence
A Florida judge has granted a restraining order against former MLB pitcher Mat Latos, requiring him to stay at least 500 feet away from his ex-girlfriend at all times.
TMZ reported on Friday that Latos’ ex-girlfriend, who has not been named, sought the restraining order in late August because she was in fear for her life, citing threats as well as mental and physical abuse dating back to September 2017. In the court documents obtained by TMZ, the woman cited several incidents in which she claims Latos was abusive and violent.
According to court docs, the woman claims the first incident occurred back in Sept. ’17 — when Mat got angry and flipped over a bed while she was still on it.
“He tackled me to the floor, picked me up and slammed me on the couch where he got on top of me pressing his forearm on my throat.”
The woman claims Latos then backed her into a wall and told her, “I’ll f**king kill you.”
“He then spit on me, put water in his mouth and spit more.”
That was just the first violent incident. According to TMZ, the woman claims Latos locked her in a closet in January of 2018. In April of 2018, she called the police after Latos slashed her tires. In August, she says he hit her in front of a witness, but she fought back and elbowed him in the jaw.
The restraining order is in effect until October, when the case is due back in court.
Latos, 30, pitched in the majors for nine years, from 2009 to 2017. He pitched for eight teams, spending the most time with the San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. He accumulated a career ERA of 3.64, but spent the last few years of his career battling ineffectiveness. After being released by the Blue Jays at the end of the 2017 season, he fired his agent and eventually picked up with an independent team. Back in June, Latos made headlines when he sparked a massive brawl after throwing over his opponent’s head.
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Liz Roscher is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at lizroscher@yahoo.com or follow her on Twitter at @lizroscher.
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