Mets’ Prospect A Court No Show, Syracuse Judge Threatens Warrant

A New York Mets prospect angered a Syracuse judge last week by not showing up for a scheduled court appearance. The player's lawyer tried to explain the circumstances behind the player's absence but the judge didn't agree.

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When told that Mets' minor leaguer, Khalil Lee was in Florida at Spring Training, City Court Judge Ann Magnarelli responded, "I don’t care that he is a Syracuse Mets player," according to Anne Hayes of syracuse.com. The court appearance stems from a May 7, 2022 incident where Lee is accused of domestic violence by an ex-girlfriend.

According to court documents, Khalil Lee’s ex-girlfriend, Keriwyn Hill, of Brooklyn alleges that Lee assaulted her by pulling her hair and choking her. The incident allegedly occurred during an argument at Lee’s apartment in Syracuse. Hill apparently filed a report with Syracuse police the next day, according to the complaint filed in the civil lawsuit. Judge Magnarelli said that a bench warrant would be issued if Lee does not appear again.

The Mets are in an interesting situation, given owner Steve Cohen's declaration of zero-tolerance for such incidents. When asked about the Khalil Lee situation in mid-February by nypost.com, Mets manager Buck Showalter said, “We trust the process and we’re letting it run its course. It’s not something we want to delve into a lot. From a baseball standpoint we’ll handle it the way we’re told to handle it.”

Khalil Lee is a strong defensive outfield prospect. He spent two games in the Major Leagues in 2022, hitting his first home run in June. However, Lee was sent all the way down to St. Lucie (A) and the Florida State League to work on his hitting approach. Lee spent the majority of the season with the Syracuse Mets (AAA).