CHULA VISTA — Former San Diego Padres third baseman Kevin Mitchell was ordered Wednesday to stand trial for assaulting a man at a South Bay golf course in July.
Mitchell, 48, is charged with battery causing serious bodily injury and assault with intent to cause great bodily injury, said prosecutor Sherry Thompson. Both are felonies and he faces a maximum of four years in prison if convicted.
He is accused of punching another golfer on the Bonita Golf Club course several times on the head, apparently because Mitchell was upset that the victim had spoken disparagingly about him earlier. The victim said he suffered a concussion from the altercation.
Mitchell has pleaded not guilty in Chula Vista Superior Court and is free on $25,000 bail. A trial in the case is set for Nov. 3.
He played for the Padres in 1987 and was the National League MVP two years later while playing for the San Francisco Giants. He has had previous legal run-ins, including a 1999 arrest on suspicion of felony battery against his father, and in 1991 on rape charges that were later dropped. In 2000, while managing a minor league team, he was suspended for punching another team’s manager during a brawl.
Mitchell, a graduate of Clairemont High School in San Diego, played for nine major league teams over 13 seasons.
