Mark Grace. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
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PHOENIX (AP) — Mark Grace is taking an indefinite leave of absence from his job as television color analyst for the Arizona Diamondbacks after his second drunken driving arrest in 15 months in the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale.
The team said in a news release that Grace was taking the leave “to seek personal assistance.” The Diamondbacks added that due to the nature of Grace’s request, it would not comment further on the matter.
Scottsdale police said Friday that Grace was arrested on a suspected DUI on Thursday night.
Grace, 48, was pulled over on a Scottsdale street for having an expired registration plate displayed on his vehicle, according to Sgt. Mark Clark, a police spokesman.
Clark said Grace was given field sobriety tests and “probable cause was developed to arrest Mr. Grace for DUI.”
He said Grace submitted to a blood draw and was released “pending complaint filing for aggravated DUI and other related charges.”
Clark said Grace was driving his vehicle without a required interlock device and that his license was suspended for a prior DUI in Scottsdale on May 30, 2011.
The highly popular former first baseman for the Chicago Cubs and Diamondbacks is in his ninth season in the television job.
Luis Gonzalez is handling the chores for the first two games of the weekend series with San Diego, while Joe Garagiola Sr. will do his turn as usual for Sunday’s game.
Two months ago, Daron Sutton was suspended indefinitely from his job as play-by-play announcer for the Diamondbacks telecasts. He has not returned.
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