ESPN baseball analyst Steve Phillips is taking a leave of absence.
The New York Post reported Wednesday that Phillips, formerly general manager of the Mets, was involved in a relationship with a female ESPN employee. Phillips is married and lives with his wife and four children, in Wilton, Conn. The Post story was based on police reports following an incident at Phillips' home.
In acknowledging the relationship, Phillips said: "I am deeply sorry that I have put my family and colleagues through this. It is a personal matter that I will not comment on further. I have, however, asked for a leave of absence to address this with my family and to avoid any unnecessary distractions through the balance of the baseball playoffs."
ESPN released the following statement: "We were aware of this and took appropriate disciplinary action at the time. We have granted Steve's request for an extended leave of absence to allow him to address it. We have no further comment."