The Houston Astros officially have fired Brandon Taubman.
According to the initial report published by Sports Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein, Taubman directed derogatory comments regarding Astros closer Roberto Osuna (who joined the club in 2018 following a domestic violence arrest) toward a female reporter wearing a purple bracelet in support of domestic violence victims. The Astros initially denied this, but reversed course Thursday afternoon, five days after the alleged incident occurred.
“Our initial investigation led us to believe that Brandon Taubman’s inappropriate comments were not directed toward any reporter. We were wrong,” the Astros said in a statement released Thursday. “We sincerely apologize to Stephanie Apstein, Sports Illustrated and to all individuals who witnessed this incident or were offended by the inappropriate conduct. The Astros in no way intended to minimize the issues related to domestic violence.”
Taubman joined the Astros in 2013 before being promoted to assistant GM in 2018, the same year Osuna joined the team, and had received a contract extension last month, according to the Los Angeles Times’s Jorge Castillo.
